Care providers to get £1,000 bonus for each extra resident following Government funding

December 31, 2021

A £1,000 bonus is being offered by Southend-on-Sea Borough Council to providers for every additional care package and residential care placement they can commit to.

After receiving £1 million Government funding from the second round of the Workforce Recruitment and Retention scheme, the offer will be given to existing providers of domiciliary or ‘at home’ care and residential home providers, from Wednesday 22 December until 31 January 2022.

The national funding scheme has been set up to try and stimulate the social care industry, encourage more people into care careers and help to keep the care workers currently employed.

Cllr Cheryl Nevin, cabinet member for adult social care and health integration, said: “This additional round of funding is a welcome boost to our local care sector, and we sincerely hope that the money doesn’t just benefit the providers, but gets passed onto the staff who are out there on the frontline, delivering the care. I want to thank those frontline workers for their ongoing hard work and say we really do value the work that you do.

“Our teams within the council are in constant contact with the local care providers to find out what capacity they have and whether they can safely take on any extra work, to meet the growing demand in the system.

Cllr Ian Gilbert, leader of the council, said: “We are doing all we can to support our care providers and care staff, whilst also making sure our residents receive the right care suitable for their needs, in a safe and responsible way. It’s a juggling act but I want to reassure the community that we’re doing everything we can.”

Under the Care Act, local authorities must make sure that people who live in their areas:

- Receive services that prevent their care needs from becoming more serious, or delay the impact of their needs

- Can get the information and advice they need to make good decisions about care and support

- Have a range of provision of high quality, appropriate services to choose from

- The Care Act requires local authorities to help develop a market that delivers a wide range of sustainable high-quality care and support services, that will be available to their communities. The Care Brokerage helps someone find these services to meet their needs, access the services and help to put those arrangements in place.

The expectation is for providers who take on any additional work safely, to deliver the care required and, to make sure there is stability and continuity of care for the resident.