This follows a decision by Royal Borough of Greenwich to boost their salaries from 1 December 2021.The increase to the LLW was announced in November and is only due on 1 April 2022. However, the council is using a £900,000 grant through the Workforce Recruitment and Retention Fund to start paying the higher amount now. This increase brings domiciliary carers’ salaries up to £11.05 an hour, which is the highest in the South London area.

For a full-time carer working in Royal Greenwich for a homecare provider that pays the LLW, this translates to an additional £400 per year. By applying the increase now, carers will feel the benefit for five months before the new rate of National Insurance is applied from April 2022.

On Monday 20 December, Councillor Danny Thorpe, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, and Cllr Miranda Williams, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, met with senior leaders, managers and front-line carers from Eleanor Care, the council’s largest homecare provider.

The group talked about the challenges the care sector has faced and continues to face. Cllrs Thorpe and Williams thanked Eleanor Care staff for all they do to care for people across the borough, including providing domiciliary care to over 450 residents and supporting hospital discharges. From next week, Eleanor Care carers will also be giving extra support to Queen Elizabeth Hospital wards.

Cllr Thorpe said: “It was a pleasure to meet some of the Eleanor Care staff and carers. It’s evident how hard they – and other carers across the borough – work to improve the lives of people in Royal Greenwich. They are true unsung heroes in our society and I’m glad we have been able to use the Workforce Recruitment and Retention Fund to support them in this way. I hope that the borough’s carers benefit from the early salary increase and know they are appreciated for all their dedication.”

Cllr Williams said: “Having met with Eleanor Care today and talked a bit about the challenges and rewards of working in this sector, it’s clear that care providers do so much more than the perception of what social care is all about. Being a carer is a vocation that requires passion, empathy and resilience and I would encourage people to explore the opportunities this rewarding sector offers.”

At any one time, the Royal Borough of Greenwich provides domiciliary care to approximately 1,550 residents. For more information about adult care and health in Royal Greenwich, visit royalgreenwich.gov.uk/adultcareandhealth