The Importance and Necessity of Well-Paid Care Staff Who Deserve Yearly Pay Rises in Line With Inflation & other cost of living restraints, with the ultimate aim for a Real Living Wage

Our Care teams & back-office staff equally play a vital role in our society, providing essential support and assistance to vulnerable people who require care and assistance. However, the job of a care worker can be demanding, both physically and more so emotionally, and requires a significant level of skill and expertise, often completely under estimated and underappreciated in the Modern day world we live in, As such, it is imperative that our care staff are paid a fair wage and that their pay is regularly reviewed in line with inflation.

At the heart of the issue is the fact that care work is often undervalued and underpaid. According to Skills for Care & relevant data from the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set for 2021 to 2022, Care workers in the independent sector had a mean hourly pay rate of £9.66 (80% of jobs pay more than this value) and £11.03 in the local authority sector, the former also being well below the Real Living Wage expected for the modern day UK workforce which currently stands at £10.95 per hour .

This situation is not sustainable. Care staff who are struggling to make ends meet are likely to experience financial stress, which can lead to a range of negative health outcomes. It can also lead to high staff turnover rates, which can have a detrimental impact on the quality of care provided. Moreover, low pay can be a barrier to attracting and retaining the best talent in the care sector. In order to attract skilled and experienced staff, care providers must offer competitive wages and benefits packages. This is particularly important given the high level of skill and expertise required to work in the care sector. Care staff must have the knowledge and skills required to provide high-quality care and support to vulnerable individuals.

Paying care staff a fair wage is not only the right thing to do; it is also a sound investment. Staff who are well-paid and motivated are likely to be more productive and provide better quality care. This can lead to improved outcomes for individuals receiving care, as well as a reduction in costs associated with staff turnover and poor-quality care. In addition to fair pay, care staff also deserve yearly pay rises in line with inflation. Inflation can and obviously is at this point in time having a significant impact on the cost of living, and failure to provide pay rises in line with inflation can leave care staff struggling to make ends meet In conclusion, care staff play a critical role in our society, providing essential care and support to vulnerable individuals. It is essential that care staff are paid a fair wage and that their pay is reviewed regularly in line with inflation

With all this in mind we At Kare Plus in Kent will be committing again this new financial year to being a Real living wage Provider and are increasing our Pay rates not only in line with the real living wage but as a Mean hourly rate here at we are actually & very proudly meeting a rate of £12.90 from April 2023, compared to the London living wage currently standing at £11.95, Our teams on the both on the ground and in the office deserve this !