Council care workers getting first £500 payment

COUNCIL-EMPLOYED care workers are receiving the first of two £500 instalments after a controversial pay policy was scrapped.

There was uproar among Derbyshire County Council (DCC) care workers last year when they missed out on a £500 sweetener provided to agency staff because the authority’s long-standing pay policy prevented retention payments to employees.

Members voted to remove the policy in summer and the authority is now in the process of awarding one of two planned payments to its directlyemployed care workers.

Speaking in a DCC meeting, cabinet member for adult social care Councillor Natalie Hoy stated: “I’m delighted to inform colleagues that from November 1 existing and new Derbyshire County Council community care workers colleagues will receive up to £500 and a further £500 in 12 months time, which brings it up to £1,000 for our incredibly hard working front-line community care workers.”