Radfield combats low pay in the care sector

To mark Living Wage Week which recently ran from Monday 9th November , Matt Barnes, director of Radfield Home Care Wycombe, Beaconsfield & South Bucks has been examining the need for pay reform in the care sector.

Matt explains:

“If there is anything that the ongoing Covid pandemic has highlighted, it’s the importance of the essential work that frontline carers do day in, day out, no matter what the conditions. Unfortunately, traditionally care workers’ minimum wage rate has just not been up to par, especially when taking into consideration the importance of the work they undertake.

A worrying trend is that of a continual rise of ‘in-work poverty’, specifically prevalent in a number of sectors, including hospitality, the charitable sector and social care. In this day and age, we should be in a position where at least the trend is going in the opposite direction.

To buck the trend, at Radfield Home Care Wycombe, Beaconsfield & South Bucks we signed up to the Living Wage Foundation from day one and we have been paying in excess of the Real Living Wage in our local High Wycombe area ever since. Part of this is paying care professionals the full hourly rate for travel time in between calls, rather than just when they are with clients. This ensures our care team are properly remunerated for the work they do.”

This Living Wage week, The Living Wage Foundation celebrated over 6,000 employers across the UK who have signed up to the cause. By being one of these employers, Radfield Home Care Wycombe, Beaconsfield & South Bucks ensures they pay their care professionals in excess of the national living wage, directly combatting low pay rates and poverty.

The Living Wage is calculated annually to reflect inflation and the true cost of living and additionally there isn’t a lower rate for younger workers like there is with the minimum wage.

To read more on the benefits of achieving a proper living wage with Radfield Home Care, click here.

If you would like to find out more about Radfield Home Care you can visit www.radfieldhomecare.co.uk or contact the branch directly on [email protected] or 01494 614 516.