Cambridgeshire care village commits to national living wage and staff perks to all care workers

Askham Village Community, near Doddington, are taking steps to "recognise and reward" all frontline care workers by increasing their wages to the national living wage and help shake off negative perceptions of working in the care industry, which is often portrayed as underpaid.

The changes to staff remuneration have been timed to coincide with Professional Care Workers’ Week (6th to 10th September).

The new package is available to all frontline care workers who have passed their probation. The package also includes staff perks that offer discounts at major retailers.

Aliyyah-Begum Nasser, director at Askham Village Community Ltd, said that social care is becoming renowned as an industry that “fails to reward” staff for their hard work.

She said: “Our commitment to providing at least the living wage for our frontline care workers though is testament to the value we place on our workforce and their incredible efforts. A fair wage for fair work should be a fundamental part of employment and this is something we’ll look to do going forward.

“We work closely with our care team and witness them provide quality care every day. Following the pandemic, we wanted to reward them for their courage, selflessness and determination in ensuring Askham continues to deliver the very best in person-centred care.

“Of course, we wish we could go further in our measures, but we have to be conscious we can only operate within the economics of the industry to ensure we remain sustainable. Hopefully, following the reforms, there will be increased opportunity to give all those working in social care even greater recognition and rewards.”

'We are taking steps to recognise and reward our frontline care workers, not wait for the government to do so.'

A significant step to reward its care workers for their efforts throughout the pandemic, the wage commitment will be funded directly by the organisation costing more than £150,000 annually.

Askham Village Community has partnered with Staff Treats where care workers can claim discounts at UK supermarkets such as Tesco, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Morrisons, as well as branded clothing and household names such as Apple, Zara, Nike and ASOS totalling more than 3,000 discounts across retail, travel, hospitality, and home furnishings.

Ms Begum Nasser added: “Our carers do a wonderful job, and we’re hoping this will go some way towards showing our appreciation for the incredible care they provide for our residents. The inclusion of the perks package alongside our living wage commitment will also offer further financial assistance to our staff, thanks to reduced bills on groceries and other essentials.”

Luke Cook, head of rehab and nursing at Askham, said the newly announced local and central government reform of social care is "welcome" but "long overdue."

Ms Cook added: “Appropriately, trained, supported, and motivated staff must be acknowledged and valued. We are taking steps to recognise and reward our frontline care workers – not simply wait for the government to do so.”

click here for more details or to contact Askham Village Community Ltd