UNISON praised homecare members today for their successful campaign to persuade Southwark council to sign up to the union’s Ethical Care Charter.
“Our homecare members have campaigned hard for this and will leave a legacy of better terms and conditions for those who follow them – and a better quality of home care for all the residents of Southwark,” said Southwark branch secretary Sue Plain.
“They should be very proud of the achievement. And well done to the council for listening and taking action.”
Southwark said it had already put most elements of the charter into place , including introducing the London living wage for homecare workers working for private providers and making sure that visits last for a minimum of 30 minutes.
It is one of the first local authorities to sign up to the charter, which also calls for the scrapping of zero hours contracts in homecare commissioning.
UNSION head of local government Heather Wakefield also welcomed the move, saying: “A lot of hard work will be needed to make this commitment a reality, but the way Southwark has involved workers, providers and people who need care in working together on the charter bodes well for the future.”