Hallmark Care Homes announces £1.3m team winter support package

Multi-award-winning care provider, Hallmark Care Homes, has announced that it has invested £1.3m into a number of winter measures to help their team members with the cost-of-living crisis.

As part of this, the family-run care group with 19 homes, will now pay all of its team members at or above the new rate set by the Real Living Wage Foundation from the 1^st December 2022.

This means care workers will receive the increase five months before it’s adopted date – 14^th May 2023 and salaries will now start from £10.90 per hour in Wales and England (outside London), and £11.95 in London.

The significant increase will ensure a full-time worker paid the new £10.90 Real Living Wage will receive more than £3,200 in additional wages annually compared to someone on the national minimum wage. For a full-time worker in London this figure rises to more than £5,600.

Hallmark employees earning less than £30,000 per annum will also benefit from a 5% pay rise five months early.

In addition to the increase, all 2300 Hallmark employees will have access to a £250,000 support fund, alongside Westfield Health benefits, a pension, Blue Light Discount Card and Hallmark Rewards should they need help with the rising costs of living.

Managing Director of Hallmark Care Homes, Aneurin Brown said: “We have a dedicated workforce who all do an amazing job caring for our residents. It’s only right that we are there for them too.

“We hope these pay increases will ease the pressure for those currently struggling with the costs of living and that our support fund will encourage more people to ask for help.”

People and Performance Director at Hallmark Care Homes, Elizabeth Fairchild said: “We wholeheartedly appreciate there will be bumps in the road and unforeseen costs for many of our team this winter, and we are committed to supporting them.

“In addition to paying the Real Living Wage and launching a £250,000 support fund, we have provided our teams with cost saving resources such as Westfield Health, Hallmark Rewards and we are funding our team’s Blue Light Discount Card to help with Christmas shopping.”