Council bosses in Newcastle have slightly scaled back plans to slash payments for ‘sleep-in’ care staff – but are still pushing ahead with a 20% cut.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed last week that Newcastle City Council was set to reduce the amount it pays social care providers in the city to cover the cost of overnight care at the homes of people with learning disabilities and autism. The initial proposals would have seen the funding reduced by 31%, down from £113.09 to £77.87 per night, and were branded a “kick in the teeth” by one worker.
But civic centre officials have now made a concession and agreed to lessen the scale of the cut in order to “further recognise the expectations of providers”. The new nightly rate now set to come into force from April 1 next year will be £90.34, which still amounts to a cut of just over 20%.
Read More: Newcastle council set to slash payments for 'undervalued' sleep-in care workers by 30%
The move follows a Supreme Court judgement in 2021 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. A council spokesperson said: “We set the sleep-in rate within the new framework based on our understanding of the Supreme Court judgement published in September 2021 and our understanding at that time of sleep-in payments to staff across the sector.
"We have listened to the feedback from providers on this matter and carefully considered the information provided to us by the majority of providers who are active on the current framework. As a result of this, and to further recognise the expectations of providers about situations where support is provided during a sleep-in period, we have amended the pricing schedule for the new framework so that the sleep-in rate with effect from 1 April 2023 will be £90.34.”
Trade union UNISON that staff working sleep-in shifts “should receive at least the minimum wage for every hour worked”. UNISON regional organiser Ronagh Craddock added: “Social care staff are some of the lowest paid workers but carry out some of the most important jobs.
“We are in discussions with Newcastle City Council and will be working with the council to ensure that terms and conditions for these workers are protected.
“This situation reinforces the need for our campaign for a national care service to transform the country’s broken social care system. Skilled social care staff are undervalued and underpaid, and vacancy rates are high. A well-funded service that mirrors the NHS would ensure workers are paid fairly, help fill job vacancies, and ensure those who depend on care receive quality support.”
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