Fraserburgh social care charity invests £4 million into colleague pay

Community Integrated Care, a social care charity with services in Fraserburgh, has announced it will pay 5,000 of its frontline Support Workers £11.40 per hour in Scotland and £10.92 per hour in England from April 2023.

The uplift will see the charity pay the voluntary ‘real living wage’ recommended by the Living Wage Foundation. This is following a previous £8 million investment made by the organisation since November 2021, as part of its commitment to employee pay, reward and wellbeing, as outlined in its Best Lives Possible strategy.

There will be equivalent uplifts for the charity’s Advanced Support Worker roles and Nurses.

In addition to the sector-leading pay rise, the charity will continue to provide its bespoke benefits package to colleagues, including access to a free employee assistance programme, tailored wellbeing support and money-saving subscriptions.

​Colleagues from Community Integrated Care are set to get a pay rise.

Since the launch of the charity’s first Unfair To Care campaign in 2021, Community Integrated Care has campaigned for better pay and fairer conditions for social care workers; raising awareness of the challenges faced by frontline colleagues in national media and lobbying policymakers for better reward and recognition.

Jim Kane, Chief Executive Officer at Community Integrated Care, said: “Our people are our priority - and this £4 million investment represents a really bold and ambitious move for Community Integrated Care.

"It is a statement to our entire workforce of how much we value and appreciate everything they do, and the incredible impact that they have on the lives of the people we support.”

“However, this investment is certainly a leap of faith for our charity, at a time when we have few alternative options, and we understand why for many other social care providers, it is an impossibility.

"Ultimately, until central government take action and provide better financial support to Local Authorities, the sector faces a constant battle to pay its workforce what they deserve.”

“As a charity, we will continue to lobby decision-makers until our messages are heard loud and clear and sector-wide changes are made to ensure a sustainable and robust social care system for all.”