Care company based in Shropshire raises pay rates for younger workers
A care company based in Shropshire is calling for wage equality for all 18-22-year-olds working in the industry.
Morris Care, a nursing home group with 418 beds across six nursing homes in Shropshire and Cheshire, says it is championing young people through wage equality and the introduction of a new BSc Nursing Apprenticeship Programme.
Company chief executive Lucy Holl said: “We believe that young carers deserve to earn the same living wage as their older counterparts and have already increased our rates accordingly.
“It is vital that we attract and motivate bright, committed young people to enter the industry and ensuring a positive starting salary is just one way of helping champion the talent of the future.”
She adds that she is "delighted to have raised rates in recognition of the amazing work they undertake day in day out."
The company pays its care assistants between £10.20 and £11.15 per hour. Nursing assistants received between £12.11 and £13.96 per hour. Housekeepers get £10 per hour.
Morris Care says it also supports mentoring, training, and apprenticeships. They have recently partnered with Paragon to help run an apprenticeship programme across all its homes.
It also recently launched another scheme which it hopes will be a trailblazer for the future: a pilot BSc Nursing Apprenticeship Programme in association with Birmingham City University.
Lucy Holl added: "We realised it is possible to study nursing through the apprenticeship route and we set in motion our bid to become an approved Nursing BSc partner.
"This route involves significant input from clinical and management roles in the host Home, however, if we can make it work, our goal over time is to be able to support a number of ambitious loyal Morris Care employees to study for a nursing qualification.”
