Award-winning care provider Ideal Carehomes is increasing pay for all of its hourly-paid team members by 8.5 per cent.
The move, which takes effect from April, marks Ideal Carehomes’ fourth wage increase in two years, representing a total investment of £6m and cementing the provider’s position as one of the highest-paying care providers in the UK.
Ideal Carehomes currently employs over 1,700 people across the UK. Its hourly rates will now start at £10.90 per hour, in line with the real Living Wage. The provider’s care and domestic assistants will now start on a minimum salary of £23,805 per annum.
Ideal Carehomes MD Stacey Linn said: “With the cost of living remaining a constant worry, we feel it is imperative that we make these vital investments to support our staff. We are a people business, and nothing is more important to us than making sure our people feel secure and valued in their career with us.
“Over the past year alone, we’ve grown our teams by 27 per cent and opened six brand-new care homes, with plans to open three more by the end of 2024. Our growth is providing our current and future teams with the rewarding careers they deserve through real time opportunities to grow with us and in turn, further strengthening their earning potential.
“As a business we have bounced back and are trading again at pre-pandemic occupancy levels, and this has allowed us to further invest in our people who make it all happen. Recruitment in our sector is a challenge but we are proud to offer some of the best training and pay rates which enables us to attract and retain the best staff.
“The latest pay rise is a necessity in the current financial climate with the increased cost of living, not only to give staff peace of mind, but also to ensure that they are rightfully rewarded for the important and dedicated work that they do.”
