Call to double wages for home care workers in Northumberland

The home care market has faced significant workforce shortages since the summer of 2021.

Around 200-220 people in the county have been assessed as requiring homecare, which the council has been unable to provide.

A report to Northumberland County Council adds that at one point, this figure rose as high as 270 in 2022, with the issue more pronounced in rural parts of the county. The issue was linked in the report to the reopening of businesses following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Pay rates have been increased by the council over the past 18 months. However, while this has stopped shortfalls from growing, it has not increased the workforce to such a level that would have allowed providers to pick up more homecare packages.

The report described the current situation as “unprecedented” and states that at one time it would have been “seriously concerning” if there were 50 people without care at any one time. However, it does point out that similar issues are being experienced by most local authorities in England.

Speaking at a meeting of the council’s health and wellbeing board, Coun Georgina Hill said: “People are paid a pittance. We need to be making radical changes – wages should be doubled at least.”

However, Conservative councillor Richard Dodd said doubling wages would be “irresponsible”.

The report identified a number of new measures the council was bringing in in a bid to solve the issues, including overseas recruitment. The council is also looking to develop a “Care Academy”, which has been done successfully in seven of the region’s 12 local authorities.

Coun Dodd said the committee should look at the issue again in six months to see what impact the new measures were having. If the problems persisted, he admitted: “We will have to put wages up.

“We have got to put the case to say why. If there’s no improvement then we’ve got to find the money – I think we’ve got to draw a line.”