Robert's Story

Sleep-in shifts judgement is an affront to the dignity of care workers

Belsize Village, London, UK: Following the London Court of Appeal’s judgement in favour of Mencap in Royal Mencap Society v Tomlinson-Blake, overturning a previous ruling at the Employment Appeals Tribunal in April 2017, Penrose Care’s managing director Robert Stephenson-Padron, a long-time advocate for the ethical treatment of home care workers, made the following statement:

“The London Court of Appeal’s decision today in Royal Mencap Society v Tomlinson-Blake is a horrific miscarriage of justice and an affront to the dignity of the human person.

I would 100% endorse UNISON taking the case to the Supreme Court. The last time UNISON went to the Supreme Court in R (on the application of UNISON) v Lord Chancellor in July 2017, they won and changed Britain for the better. I expect if UNISON took Royal Mencap Society v Tomlinson-Blake to the Supreme Court, this would result in a repeat of their prior triumph for justice for ordinary working people.

Penrose Care will continue to abide by the most obvious interpretation of the law which is to pay at least the national minimum-wage / national live wage for sleep-ins even if certain of our peers en mass decide to continue exploiting and abusing Britain’s vital social care workforce. This is the morally right thing to do. Penrose Care has been paying at least the minimum wage for sleep-in shifts since we commenced trading in 2013 as the law was clear then and it remains clear.”

Media Contact

Robert Stephenson-Padron – Managing Director – 020 7435 2644

About Penrose Care

Penrose Care is an ethical provider of home care services London, United Kingdom to adults with disabilities and elderly persons, including those with dementia.  The company operates upon a fundamental belief that to promote a caring workforce, the organisation itself must be caring. As the pioneer of ethics in home care in the UK, Penrose Care in 2012 became one of the first four providers in the country to become an Accredited Living Wage Employer and in 2013 the first independent sector provider to be compliant with Citizens UK’s landmark Social Care Charter. Penrose Care was named the Living Wage Champion for the London region in 2016 by the Living Wage Foundation.

Penrose Care’s ethical approach promotes higher quality social care workers and low staff turnover which in turn results in excellent care. Penrose Care is headquartered in Belsize Village, north London and was founded by Robert Stephenson-Padron, a healthcare research analyst, and Dr. Matthew Knight, a hospital physician.

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