Care providers are being asked by Dorset Council to pay care workers an additional £1/hour to take their hourly salary up to £11.50/hour when commissioned through the local authority.
It comes after the Council announced its uplift in care fees in the community for 2023, for care businesses that work with the local authority through the Dorset Care Framework.
This near 10% increase comes at an important time with costs of living rising. It is important to support the workforce by delivering good quality social care and represents a key element of the local authority Markets Sustainability Plan.
Dorset started down this route last year with an agreed minimum care rate for care workers of £10.50 and has already seen positive recruitment and reduced agency costs among its care providers. Payments to care staff are more competitive with other sectors and as a result providers have been able to recruit and retain staff.
Dimensions recently received an outstanding rating from the Care Quality Commission, which highlighted that “people led inclusive and empowered lives because of the ethos, values and attitudes and behaviours of the management and staff. People were absolutely at the centre of collaborative and respectful circles of support. Staff valued the knowledge and experience of people’s relatives and held them in high regard.”
Commenting on Dorset Council’s Fair Cost of Care policy, Dimensions Operations Director Vikki-Lee Dampier paid tribute to Dorset Council: “One factor is particularly worth highlighting – Dorset increased the rate they pay providers to a level that facilitated competitive levels of pay in the local jobs market.”
There are an estimated 7,200 people directly providing care in the Dorset local authority area and the increase in pay for this important work sector will benefit the county’s economy.
Councillor Jane Somper, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, said Dorset Council has made it a priority to commission fair cost of care covering supported living and home care for older people.
“It is vital that we invest in the market and ensure that we maintain and enhance quality services to the elderly and most vulnerable in our society.
“This will provide better quality support at the right time and in the right place as well as reducing our costs.”
Notes to Editors:
Further information can be found on Dorset Council’s Market Accessibility Plan can be found at –
Market Sustainability Plan for Dorset – 2023 to 2025 – Dorset Council
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