When councils pay too little for home care

The BBC has published some interesting figures this morning, revealing that most councils in England are paying too little for care services.

According to the UK Homecare Association (UKHCA), councils should pay homecare providers a minimum of £15.19 an hour.

This would be enough to cover wages, travel and training.

It assumes a minimum wage of £6.31 an hour for workers over the age of 21 as well as the cost of travel, national insurance contributions, holiday pay, training, pensions and agency fees.

The BBC investigation found this minimum level was being paid by councils in England in only four out of 101 cases.

Indeed, the average minimum rate paid by councils was found by the BBC to be only £12.26 an hour – nearly 20% below the minimum recommended level.

One council was found to be paying just £9.09 an hour.

As a consequence, providers risk being unable to deliver quality care in the home.

Of course it is important to consider regional variations in pricing; care services in London and the South East are significantly more expensive to provide than in other regions.

Domiciliary (in the home) care is an increasingly popular alternative to residential care for people in later life, offering those receiving care the opportunity to live a full and independent life in their home.

It is important, in cases where councils are funding domiciliary care as a result of means-testing, that services are provided to a high standard and sufficient time is spent with customers to ensure their long-term well being.

The Informed Choice Care Fees Guide 2013-14

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