Belsize Village, Hampstead, London – Penrose Care, the UK’s pioneer in the ethical provision of home care, has today announced that the new London Living Wage rate of £10.55/hour announced by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan this morning is effective immediately at Penrose Care for all staff. This is an increase of the prior London Living Wage rate of £10.20/hour and compares to the current national minimum wage rate for persons 25 and above (the mis-named “National Living Wage”) of £7.83/hour.
Robert Stephenson-Padron, managing director of Penrose Care, commented, following the pay increase:
“We are proud to be increasing our care workers’ pay in line with the cost of living in London so that all our colleagues can continue to work and live with dignity. Our ethical framework is essential to ensuring that the home care we deliver is excellent day in and day out. Our Living Wage commitment is the bedrock to other ethical labour practices at Penrose Care such as the payment of travel time between clients, complying with the minimum wage rates for sleep-in shifts, an occupational sickpay scheme, private medical insurance with Vitality Health, and free taxi rides home if ending work after 9pm. I wish all our staff a wonderful Living Wage Week 2018!”
Penrose Care’s senior support worker Egle Viskantaite, managing director Robert Stephenson-Padron, Living Wage Foundation chair Stuart Wright of Aviva, Living Wage Foundation director Katherine Chapman and Penrose Care support worker Alica Mikitovičová at the launch of Living Wage Week 2018 at the Barbican Centre, London, UK. November 5, 2018.
Penrose Care’s managing director Robert Stephenson-Padron with Aya Khazaal of aspiring Living Wage employer Pivoine Nail Spa of Belsize Village and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan at the launch of Living Wage Week 2018 at the Barbican Centre, London, UK. November 5, 2018.
Media Contact
Robert Stephenson-Padron – Managing Director: robert.padron@penrosecare.co.uk
Landline: 0207 435 2644
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John Hood – Media Manager: John.Hood@LivingWage.org.uk
Mobile: 07507 173649 Landline 0208 017 2936
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 and in 2018 received a national Living Wage Champion Award for Industry Leadership.
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.
About the real Living Wage
The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to what people need to make ends meet. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that choose to take a stand by ensuring their staff earn a wage that meets the costs and pressures they face in their everyday lives.
The UK Living Wage is currently £9.00 per hour. There is a separate London Living Wage rate of £10.55 per hour to reflect the higher costs of transport, childcare and housing in the capital. These figures are calculated annually by the Resolution Foundation and overseen by the Living Wage Commission, based on the best available evidence on living standards in London and the UK.
The Living Wage Foundation is the organisation at the heart of the movement of businesses, organisations and individuals who campaign for the simple idea that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. We recognise and celebrate the leadership shown by responsible employers who voluntarily choose to go further and pay a real Living Wage based on the cost of living, not just the government minimum. There are currently over 4,700 accredited employers.
