The Homecare Companies That Couldn't Care Less, UK

UNISON, the UK's leading public sector union, today slammed private homecare companies for exploiting staff and leaving elderly people without the care and support they need.


Private care companies routinely employ staff on zero hours contracts, that often means huge swings in paid hours for staff. By refusing to pay for travel time between visits, many home carers are effectively paid below the minimum wage.


They are not offered even basic training, including how to administer medicines, despite having to give them out as a part of their work.


Some companies book back-to-back calls with no travel time at all. This forces carers to shave minutes off already packed care slots, and means elderly people are short-changed, missing out on vital support.


Out of their low wages, many care workers have to pay for their own transport, mobile phones and uniforms - all essential to do the job.


UNISON wants homecare companies to put the care back into caring, by paying for travel time between clients, boosting training and working conditions for carers. This would have the knock on benefit of raising standards of care for elderly people who rely on the service.


Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said:


"It is a scandal that private homecare companies are boosting profits for themselves, but short-changing elderly people and staff. They are cutting corners by scrimping and saving on what they pay their staff. This has a huge knock on effect on elderly people relying on care to live independent lives in their own homes.


"Many UNISON members tell us they miss out on basic training, including how to give medicines or deal with people with dementia, which is a routine part of the job.


"Most care workers are on the minimum wage as it is. It's a disgrace that private companies, who can get paid more than ??15 from local authorities for an hour of care, exploit staff on low wages by refusing to pay for travel time. Over the course of a day, this can lead to some carers slipping below the national minimum wage.


"Improving pay rates, providing more training, and allowing staff enough time to visit people and travel between appointments, would instantly boost standards of care, giving people the dignity they deserve."


Good Practice


UNISON's Norfolk Country Branch have negotiated, with Careforce UK, changes to terms and conditions, so that carers will be paid for travel time between visits, for waiting time, and will receive an increased mileage rate.


Bad Practice


Choices - Care at Home employs more than 300 home carers in South Lanarkshire. In February, the company ripped up staff employment contracts, replacing them with zero hours contracts for staff. They pay staff just ??5.80 per hour, 5p above the minimum wage and 17p mileage rates.


A carer working for the company, who wanted to remain anonymous, said:


"My company schedules visits so I have to walk for up to thirty minutes. They don't schedule enough time, and I can't cut time off my visits, so it means every day I run over. If you're meant to finish about nine pm, it can be nearly ten o'clock by the time you get home. That makes it really difficult if you have to get home to put the children to bed. I can't complain, because I'll lose the work.


"If you get new clients, you don't know what their needs are until you get there. I think we should be fully briefed before we get to visits, so we know what to expect."


Another care worker, in the same area said:


"I've just lost 24 hours of paid work since I changed onto a zero hours contract. As I get just 5p above the minimum wage, and only 17p per mile, it makes it hard to pay the bills. I've also had to spend more than ??100 on uniform since I started working for Choices, as they only issue you with one tunic when you start. And I often have to use my own mobile phone."

Source
UNISON