PRICE RISES!

So the annual jamboree of price rises is over for another year.

One local authority told its providers of the price rise on the 8th April (the year starts on the 1st!).

It’s a mixed picture.

Minimum wage has gone up by 7%, to £9.50 per hour.

Given the recruitment problems in the sector, one would have hoped for significantly more than the minimum wage increase.

One local authority gave a 7.7% uplift – big deal, but at least slightly more than the minimum.

One gave 4.4%.

This is outrageous.

They are of course sheltering behind the promised Cost of Care work, which will be ongoing this year, as local authorities gather evidence from the market and present it to central government.

But what do providers do in the meantime?

Most will give their staff an effective real pay cut.

This is not right.