Domiciliary Managers Financially Worse Off

Managers in domiciliary care earn up to 30% less than their care home counterparts according to new research by Croner.

The findings come from Croner’s latest salary survey report on pay and benefits within the care sector.

The report also highlights that unlike managers, pay at carer level is higher for those working within domiciliary care.

Carol Smith, Care Sector Employment Specialist, at Croner, says: “A contributing factor for the difference in wage rates at manager level may be down to the requirement in Care Homes for Nursing / clinical care, where often the Home manager is required to hold clinical responsibility. This is almost certainly the case in SME-sized care homes where the manager is more likely to be clinically qualified.

“Another surprise in our research is that there is not a pattern of management pay increasing proportionately with the number of beds or employees, which is generally the case at Director/Head of Operation Level. This again suggests that remuneration is commensurate to level of education or experience.

“The reverse in fortunes for carers is likely due to the amount of travelling that they have to undertake. Incidentally recent case law suggests that travelling to a first appointment to the last appointment to home should be considered as working time, however there is an exclusion for this under the National Minimum Wage Regulations.”

The survey also found that staff turnover continues to be a problem across the sector at 17.5%. Commenting on the findings, Carol Smith says: “The industry tend to have a higher proportion of female worker and lower wage levels, turnover may be affected by: non-returners from maternity leave, demanding environments and unsocial hours due to the need for 24 hours care cover and balancing this with family responsibilities. Employers can address this to an extent with flexible working arrangements and family friendly policies competitive pay rates and benefits, plus offering training and development to retain care staff in the Company.”