Adult social care provider, Home From Home Care has increased its total pay and remuneration offer by £1.3 million in response to the rising cost of living.
After a pay rise in April and a further pay rise this October, all of the company’s 400 care staff will have seen their base salary rise by 6% while weekend pay rates and attendance bonuses are also increasing. Combined, this represents a total pay increase of 14% on average.
Home From Home Care, which operates 11 specialist care homes across Greater Lincolnshire, took the decision to significantly increase pay and remuneration in response to anticipated rises in household fuel bills, National Insurance and inflation.
Having become an entirely family-owned company this month, the care provider was able to introduce the offer almost instantaneously, without needing to consult shareholders or investors.
Managing director of Home From Home Care, Paul de Savary said:
“All of our team members have worked so hard and done such amazing things throughout the pandemic, we want to reward them as much as we possibly can, and so we’re pulling all the stops.
“Pay isn’t everything, but it is extremely important, especially when times are tough. As we head into what could be another difficult winter for this country, we’re giving team members the biggest total pay rise we’ve ever managed in a single year as a way of looking after them and saying thank you.
“Of course, the only reason we’ve been able to go as far as we have is because we’re finally free of all outside investors and shareholders. This means we’re now a 100% family-owned business, giving us the freedom to sacrifice profits and pay our staff more.
“In the 18 years we’ve been in business, we’ve never seen a situation where our care workers are under so much financial pressure. With rising inflation, National Insurance going up and with the fuel cost crisis now taking hold, we want our workers to know how much they’re valued and we don’t want them worrying about whether they’ll be able to make ends meet. I’m really pleased we’ve been able to make this increase to pay and bonuses and I hope it makes life a lot easier for all our team members this winter.”
Home From Home Care supports adults with learning disabilities, autism and complex physical and mental health and is rated Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The company, which is currently a finalist for Employer of the Year: Platinum in the Investors in People Awards 2021, prides itself on being unlike any other care provider thanks to its innovative and supportive culture, systems and practices.
The two successive pay rises mean that a support worker who was earning £8.82 per hour in March, will now be earning a minimum of £9.53 per hour on passing probation. They will also be entitled to an extra £1 per hour for working weekends and, without absence, they have the potential to earn an extra 3%, equating to an average rate of £10.09.
The increase in pay brings basic pay for entry-level jobs into alignment with the Real Living Wage of £9.50 per hour, but with weekend pay and attendance bonuses, they’re likely to earn far more. Workers also generally progress to higher pay levels within 3-6 months of joining Home From Home Care.
To support university students who join Home From Home Care while studying for a relevant degree course, the company is also introducing a new ‘earn as you learn’ offer. Students who commit to working three shifts per week (22.5 hours in total), can earn a £300 bonus every three months on top of their basic pay. This equates to a total of £3,600 in bonuses over three years.
