News
The Orders of St John Care Trust recommits to real Living Wage
Leading not-for-profit care provider The Orders of St John Care Trust (OSJCT) will continue to pay the current real Living Wage to its care staff this year. The decision represents a £6m annual incremental investment in OSJCT’s employees, all of whom will be paid at an hourly rate of £10.90 or above. Care colleagues will be paid at least £11.07 per hour.
In addition, OSJCT will continue to support
its employees with various initiatives, including free access to counselling, financial and legal information via its Employee Assistance Programme and The Care Workers’
Charity, health and wellbeing support, and the Blue Light Card high street discount scheme. More broadly, OSJCT continues to advocate for long-term reform of the social care sector, including raising the issue of fair pay directly with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and other key stakeholders. OSJCT CEO Dan Hayes said: “We strive to
provide the highest standard of care to each of our residents and tenants, and colleagues in our care homes are critical in delivering that service. This pay rise reflects the incredibly important work that they do. “We know that our colleagues are also facing a tough time with the rising cost of living. We are doing everything we can to support them, and I’m pleased that we can continue to prioritise this significant investment in our people. “We also know that it’s a tough job market, and we hope this boost in pay shows prospective employees just how much we value our workforce, and that social care can be a rewarding career choice.”
Abbeyfield Society fights cost of living crisis with pay rise
The Abbeyfield Society has made a commitment to supporting its employees during the cost of living crisis by increasing pay for frontline staff by 15 per cent. Abbeyfield will also be enrolling its staff in
Medicash, a group medical cash-back scheme, under which employees can reclaim medical expenses. This includes up to four dependent children under the age of 24. The Abbeyfield Society operates around 100 care homes, sheltered housing schemes, and independent living complexes in England. Its benefits package already includes a life assurance plan, company pension, and sick pay. Abbeyfield also provides access to a mental wellbeing app to assist staff in preventing and managing stress and anxiety, and recently launched a suite of wellbeing and inclusion training courses. Its employee assistance programme gives staff 24/7 access to expert advice, information, and a personal support system of trained counsellors. In addition, Abbeyfield holds official accreditation as a menopause friendly employer.
Gail Manley, HR director, said: “We are
committed to supporting our loyal and hard-working staff through this current
April 2023
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com
Person Centred Software pilots care home access to London Care Record
Person Centred Software is piloting a scheme whereby London care homes can access a ‘joined-up’ record of people’s health and care information. Person Centred Software has partnered with OneLondon and NHS London Region Digital Social Care to enable care providers using Person Centred Software’s solutions to connect to the London Care Record. The London Care Record enables health and care professionals to access a secure view of people’s health and care information. Introduced to speed up communication between care professionals, help save lives, and improve the safety and quality of care, the London Care Record, enabled by a network of health information exchanges (HIEs) which join up data safely and securely, incorporates information such as GP records, diagnoses, and allergies. In theory, access to the London Care
Record will enable doctors, nurses, and other health and social care professionals involved in a resident’s care to make better, safer, and more informed decisions. Andrew Coles, CEO of Person Centred
cost of living crisis and beyond. We truly value our staff’s significant contribution to Abbeyfield and our residents, and hope that our competitive pay and benefits package will make a difference in these challenging times. We are keen to attract and retain the best people and encourage them to stay and develop their careers with us, and will continue to invest in further initiatives to support our employees. “We believe that our pay and benefits package is an attractive offer and hope it will attract new talent to Abbeyfield and a rewarding career within the social care sector.”
Software, said: “We are incredibly pleased to be working alongside OneLondon, the NHS London Region Digital Social Care team, and our London-based customers, pioneering effective solutions that are accessible to as many health and care professionals as possible. We hope that piloting our latest innovative approach will help to speed up communication between care professionals and help care home staff to provide the most effective care possible. All in all, we see the partnership as a vital step in improving the overall quality of care within the sector while showcasing our confidence in continuing to push the boundaries of care with greater accountability and better outcomes for UK residents.”
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