Homecare Association response on Equal Pay consultation
The Homecare Association supports equal pay for equal work, but argues that government, as the main purchaser of homecare, must fund its lawful cost. Councils pay an average of £25.05 an hour against the Homecare Association's Minimum Price of £34.42 which is the minimum amount required to sustainably deliver care that complies with regulation.
Providers raised five concerns:
- Outsourcing duty permitting equal pay claims between contracting organisations: it could undermine the Fair Pay Agreement by pushing providers to match council and NHS pay for careworkers without proper systems planning or funding to back the legislation. There also may be confusion for workers working on contracts for both the NHS and a local authority about whose pay and terms and conditions they should be matched to.
- Cost: raising all 'outsourced' homecare to public sector employment standards could cost in excess of £3.92 billion a year in England alone, while only £500 million has been allocated for the first Fair Pay Agreement.
- Immigration rules: required salaries for sponsored workers could trigger race pay claims unless this is considered carefully.
- Race and disability: the consultation leaves defences, audit groups and data requirements unclear.
- Pay transparency requirements for job adverts: if the government introduces transparency requirements, adverts should state whether pay covers contact time only or all hours worked.
The Association calls for adult social care to be excluded from the outsourcing duty and for fair prices through a National Contract for Care Services.
