Dozens of care homes are not paying isolating staff full salary

UNION CALLS FOR URGENT REFORM OF SECTOR

DOZENS of care homes are failing to pay staff a full wage when they are forced to isolate due to Covid-19.

Unions said carers are suffering for doing the right thing.

About 70 of the 100 care homes across the county with available data said they were giving isolating workers full pay, according to Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) figures for the week ending June 22.

But about 15 in Leicestershire said they were only providing statutory sick pay (SSP), which amounts to £96.35 per week.

Ten homes in Leicester said isolating staff were only offered SSP.

Employers must pay SSP as a minimum to an employee who earns at least £120 per week and has been ill or isolating for at least four consecutive days.

Unlike NHS employees, social care workers are not guaranteed sick pay above this basic legal requirement.

A further five homes in Leicestershire said isolating staff were paid more than SSP but below their normal wages.

The response rate for employers across the area was about 62 per cent.

The UK’s largest union representing the social care sector, Unison, said staff were still losing out for isolating.

General secretary Christina McAnea said: “Care employees are already among the lowest paid workers in the country.

“They shouldn’t have to survive on even less for doing the right thing. Employers who cut staff wages are putting those being cared for at risk.

“Infections in care homes could rise again if staff feel they can’t afford to stay off work.

“Care is in desperate need of reform.

“Vacancy rates are huge and staff on bargain-basement wages feel undervalued.

“Many have to work between different employers just to make ends meet.”

Across England, 84 per cent of care homes that had staff who needed to isolate said they kept them on full pay – based on a national response rate of 71 per cent.

But this still left 188 paying above SSP but below normal wages, 652 paying only SSP and 47 paying isolating staff nothing at all.

The proportion of care homes paying full wages has been fairly consistent since the DHSC started publishing figures in mid-December.

But it varied widely between regions – 90 per cent of employers in the North East said they provided a full wage in the latest week, while 76 per cent said the same in the West Midlands.

The East Midlands came eighth of the nation’s nine regions, at 80 per cent.

Ms McAnea called on the government to make sure all staff earn a minimum of £9.50 per hour.

In May last year, the Government introduced the Adult Social Care Infection Control Fund (ICF) in a bid to help care providers curb the spread of Covid-19 within and between homes.

Measures to hold back the virus included paying isolating staff a full wage, limiting staff movement between social care settings, and accommodating safe visits to care homes.

According to DHSC, the fund has been extended to September, bringing total spending on infection control to £1.5 billion.

Care England, which represents independent care services, said the ICF cash will not cover what it is meant to.

Professor Martin Green, chief executive of the charity, said: “Providers are faced with very difficult decisions and clearly need more support.

“Added to which many providers are still awaiting the ICF money as we are given to understand that it has only just been paid to local authorities and is yet to trickle down to the front line.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said: “Isolation is vital to stopping the spread of the virus.

“No-one isolating, including our hardworking care workers, should lose out financially because they are doing the right thing, and we’re supporting the sector with £1.5 billion.

“Recent official data shows the vast majority of care homes paid staff who needed to isolate their full wages.”