Agenda item

The Director of Adult Social Care submits a report which summarises the work undertaken to estimate the approximate financial impact on Adult Social Care, of stipulating that all providers from which it commissions, pay their staff the Living Wage. Commission members are recommended to note the content of the report.

The Director of Adult Social Care and Safeguarding presented a report which summarised the work undertaken to estimate the approximate financial impact  on Adult Social Care of stipulating that all providers from which it commissions services, pay their staff the Living Wage.

With the prior approval from the Chair, Mr Alistair Jackson addressed the commission. Mr Jackson explained that he was the Chief Executive of the Leicester Quaker Housing Association which ran a care home in Beaumont Leys. During Mr Jackson’s presentation, a number of points were raised including the following:

·         The Housing Association wished to be fair employers and pay their staff a living wage but this was not possible when taking into account the amount the Association received from the council.

·         The Housing Association was a not for profit organisation.

·         The council expected that the Housing Association would pay their senior care workers just £6.93 per hour. These senior members of staff were responsible for running the care home during their shift. As such the council should review the position of the senior care worker and suggest a job description for the role.

·         Because the council tried to help people remain in their own homes for longer, those residents who came into care home were the more vulnerable and frail members of society. Had this vulnerability been taken into account when calculating the pay of care staff?

The Director for Care Services and Commissioning explained that the council were currently looking further into the Living Wage Foundation. They had adopted many aspects of the ethical care charter but had not yet signed up to the Foundation because of issues surrounding the cost element of the living wage.

Members expressed concern that some of the private sector providers paid their staff just minimum wages and the council should make every effort to enhance people’s pay rates. Requests were also made for progress in joining the Living Wage Foundation to be monitored. Members asked that the Executive drew up an action plan to address the issue including the points that had been raised by Mr Jackson. It was noted that Islington Council had held the Living Wage Foundation licence for three years and the Chair asked for further information on how this had been achieved. Members also requested that the contract tendering process should require providers to specify details of what they paid their staff.

RESOLVED:

1)    that the commission recommends that the Executive devise an action plan to take into account the concerns and comments raised by the commission in relation to the Living Wage in Adult Social Care.

2)    that the commission recommends that as part of the contract tendering process, care providers be asked to provide details of their pay rates for staff;

3)    that the commission recommends that the council consider the request for a review of the job description for senior care staff;

4)    for information to be provided to the commission on how Islington Council has achieved  their Living Wage Foundation Licence over the past three years.

5)    that an update on adopting the Ethical Care Charter be brought to a future meeting of the commission.