New care home group pledges to pay real Living Wage and give staff free meals

A new care home group, which is opening its first new homes in Fleet and Chelmsford, has pledged to pay its staff the Real Living Wage and give them free meals and a complimentary uniform laundry service.

Principle Care Homes is opening its flagship care home, Heron Manor, in Fleet in Spring 2023. The new build care home will offer residential and dementia care and has a hydrotherapy pool, exercise studio and physiotherapy suite.

A 139-bed care home in Chelmsford is to open shortly after, along with other sites already secured as part of a steady growth plan.

However owners, brother and sister Ashish and Nisha Goyal, say they are keen to avoid the somewhat formulaic approach to building and operating so-called ‘luxury care homes’, so as well as creating next level environments, they will be focusing on care delivery and the team and doing all they can to deliver a truly ‘peace of mind’ solution.

Ashish Goyal said: “It seems obvious to say we’ll focus on the care and our team - a given for most operators. But for us, getting those two elements right is key to providing safe and happy homes for our future residents.

“Fancy facilities have fast become the norm and it’s been great to see care businesses push the boundaries over the years. But the vast research we’ve conducted shows that residents and their families, now more than ever in a post-pandemic world, crave reassurance and guidance more than they do a cinema or the feeling of living in a hotel, for example.”

He added: “At Principle, we’re focussed on creating homes where everybody; team, residents and their loved ones, feels truly special.”

Principle has committed to pay the real Living Wage and, amongst other initiatives, it says it will provide its staff team with meals as well as a complimentary uniform laundry service.

Sandra Jarrad, executive assistant, who has been with the company since it’s early inception, added: “Having worked for another care provider for over 13 years, I feel so lucky to have joined Principle at the start of their journey. Ashish and Nisha’s vision for making everyone feel special is apparent in every step we take towards creating care provision that truly puts people first.”