Award-Winning Home Care Franchise, Guardian Angel Carers, Presents Solutions to Low-Fee Models Adopted by Local Councils
Multi-award-winning home care specialists, Guardian Angel Carers, offer solutions to low-fee models by prioritising fair pay, high-quality services, and localised care delivery in the care sector
Following news announcements revealing 'low-fee models' paid by local authorities and the NHS, leading to increased risks of poor care, a highly acclaimed home care company, Guardian Angel Carers, has stepped forward to clarify the solutions available that are already in place.
Guardian Angel Carers, a network of 15 locally owned and managed home care franchises, has long bucked convention and created a personalised, family-feel group that delivers exceptional care. It has received countless awards in light of sector-leading standards and staff retention rates.
Investigations Reveal the Impacts of Low-Fee Models on Home Care Standards
Research published by the BBC discovered that only one local authority of every 20 provides sufficient funding to cover minimum staffing costs, leading to care providers struggling to meet basic standards or provide the necessary support to meet everyday needs.
While local authorities have stated that their budgets cannot provide appropriate care funding, the government responded that the sector has been allocated an additional £8 billion over two years.
Social care bodies have been found to pay an average of £21.56 per hour for social care provision, although this is as low as £16.04 in some areas, with data captured from all 276 UK councils. Most home care providers face substantial cost-cutting, with unviable profitability of around £0.25 per hour.
The Homecare Association, a national body representing home care providers, estimates that the sector requires further investment of at least £2.08 billion per year to enable all home care workers to be paid a fair wage and to prevent the shortage of experienced care workers from rising above the current 150,000 vacancies solely in England.
Discovering Sustainable Solutions to Underfunded Social Care
Guardian Angel Carers, which launched with one territory back in 2012, believes that the answer is to start by assessing local needs and building home care services from there rather than beginning with input funding and trying to create successful home care provision around that.
This structure allows franchise owners to determine how they can best support their communities and offer care services, such as domiciliary care, respite support, specialist condition-specific care, overnight and live-in care solely against demand, depending on the services that will add value.
The business, across all territories, pays wages above the national averages and provides home care staff at all seniority levels with outstanding rewards and assistance to ensure they achieve their full potential. Example remuneration packages include:
- Fully funded formal training
- Additional pay during weekends and bank holidays
- Paid travel time between care visits
- Annual holiday allowances, pension entitlements and bonuses
- Medical insurance and employee discounts
This all contributes to a care service that is sought-after and attracts sustained interest from families looking for bespoke care in the comfort of their homes – often as an alternative to a residential care home, many of which face similar challenges in underfunding and staffing shortages.
Guardian Angel Carers Explain How Fair Pay and High Quality Overcome Funding Shortages
MD of Franchise at Guardian Angel Carers, Vikki Craig-Vickers, says, 'Our focus is on delivering the best possible care, protecting and respecting vulnerable and older adults, and collaborating with families, while incorporating cutting-edge tech and care planning to ensure we provide care that really matters.
Although funding shortages are a reality, they impact only the proportion of care recipients with eligibility for local authority funding. Underpaying and undervaluing staff in response mean the most talented, passionate and dedicated home carers look elsewhere or leave the sector altogether.
We ensure every family, couple or individual we support has autonomy, meaning they can choose whether a carer visits once or several times a week, or spends a minimum or maximum number of hours completing pre-agreed tasks.
By delivering high-demand visiting care and supplementing this with specialist services, such as palliative and live-in care, we ensure that our business is viable and non-reliant on low-fee models that have left so many unable to continue.
We welcome conversations with any home care professional or prospective franchisee who’d like to learn more about our financial modelling, localised care structure, and sector-leading pay rates. These set the way forward for home care providers to move away from funding dependency and towards better standards for families and professionals.
Read more about Guardian Angel Carers - Guardian Angel Carers Eastleigh Celebrated as Hampshire Home & Specialist Care Provider of the Year 2024
About Guardian Angel Carers:
Guardian Angel Carers is a leading home care provider dedicated to delivering compassionate, personalised care services. With a strong focus on independence, dignity, and quality of life, the company supports individuals in the comfort of their own homes, offering a range of services from companionship to complex care needs.
Media Contact:
Vikki Craig-Vickers
03333 660550
www.gacarers.co.uk
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Source Company – https://www.gacarers.co.uk/