'15' campaign
The campaign called for:
- An end to £15 per hour rates for homecare in NI.
- An end to 15-minute visits for older people NI currently has the highest level of 15-minute visits in the UK (over 30 per cent in Northern Ireland compared with 3.5 per cent in England);
- Ensuring stability for the sector with fair contracts and fair rates.
The Minister for Health, Mr Robin Swann MLA, has stated repeatedly that homecare workers deserve to be appropriately remunerated for their work, but the rates offered make this impossible. The 34 pence per hour increase meant most homecare workers would continue to be paid at or just above the National Living Wage, despite the demands thrust upon them in their work.
What we did
We organised a petition calling on the Minister for Health and respective Trust CEOs to reconsider their position.
UKHCA have teamed up with IHCP to launch the '15 campaign in #NorthernIreland. We are calling for an end to both 15-minute #Homecare visits and fee rates of £15 per hour, which drive down pay rates for care workers.
— UKHCA (@ukhca) June 14, 2021
Sign the petition: https://t.co/0N1O07uLao pic.twitter.com/Ua3Wv5lMLf
What happened
In November 2021, Minister Swann unveiled a one-off support package of up to £23 million for homecare and social care services in Northern Ireland. Consequently, HSC Trusts have been able to uplift their rates for providers to a new minimum of £18 per hour.
Further reading: