AS MINISTERS announce that they will take legal action against the Royal College of Nursing seeking a ruling from the high court that the nurses' 48-hour strike planning for this weekend is illegal, a local charity has quietly awarded its employees a close-to-inflation pay rise.

Services for Independent Living (SIL), based in Leominster, has given its staff an eight per cent pay increase this April, meaning that in just over two years employees have seen their pay increase by 18 per cent.

At a time when social care is in crisis across the UK and good staff are difficult to recruit – last year, vacancies in the sector reached 165,000, a 52 per cent rise, meaning that one in 10 social care posts in England is unfilled – SIL’s board has remained constant in ensuring its staff receive an above average salary for the work they do to recognise the commitment they show in supporting older people and people with complex needs.

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SIL’s Chief Executive, Euan McPherson said: “I think having delivered an 18 per cent pay increase over 28 months in the current climate shows SIL’s commitment to its staff. We are proud to have been awarded the 2022 Hereford Times Health and Social care Award for The Best Place to Work and we will continue to do what we can to make SIL an employer of choice for staff in this sector”.

It has been increasingly difficult over the past few years to recruit and retain staff within the care industry as increases in household expenditure and rising inflation have meant people are looking outside the sector to higher paid jobs.

Other factors affecting recruitment include the challenges of working through the pandemic and a drop in immigration from Europe in the wake of Brexit, as well as pay levels in the sector being overtaken by other low-paid sectors such as retail.

SIL has remained largely unaffected by this situation, thanks to its generous in-work benefits, good rates of pay and a supportive work environment. Working in social care is both fulfilling and rewarding but can be both demanding and challenging. SIL is ensuring its staff are rewarded financially for their compassion and dedication.

Information about SIL can be found on the website at s4il.co.uk.

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