A union has called for “undervalued and underpaid” care staff to be protected as council bosses slash payments for ‘sleep-in’ shifts by almost a third.
Newcastle City Council is planning a major cut to the amount of money it gives to social care providers in the city to cover the cost of providing overnight care at the homes of people with learning disabilities and autism. The payments are set to be slashed by 31%, down from £113.09 to £77.87 per night, and there are fears that care providers will be forced to reduce their employees' pay as a result.
The move follows a Supreme Court judgment last year which ruled that sleep-in social care workers are only entitled to be paid the national minimum wage when they are awake for the purposes of working. One care sector worker, who asked to remain anonymous, told ChronicleLive that the council’s decision was a “kick in the teeth” and would be damaging for a sector that is struggling to retain staff.
