In a groundbreaking initiative for the adult care sector, Connaught Care Collection has partnered with YuLife, a tech-driven insurance company, to offer market-leading employee benefits to its 200+ staff across the country. In celebration of the partnership, YuLife has also pledged to plant 500 new trees to symbolise the health and wellbeing of Connaught staff.
Under its Group Life Insurance package, the family of any Connaught team member who passed away will be entitled to a lump sum payout of up to 12x their base salary. In addition, the package goes beyond traditional coverage by using digital tools to reward healthy living – including by encouraging healthy habits such as walking, meditating, and cycling.
Through the YuLife App, Connaught employees will be able to earn YuCoin, a digital currency, by completing wellness activities. These can then be redeemed for daily rewards, including vouchers from leading brands like Nike, M&S, Amazon and ASOS. Studies show this kind of ‘gamification’ of rewards can be effective in boosting employee engagement and wellbeing.
Says Connaught Care CEO Andrew Winstanley:
“We are delighted to be working with YuLife to offer our team the financial stability and peace of mind they deserve. We want everyone to know that, even if the worst happens, their families will be fully supported. Equally, by taking a more holistic approach to employee rewards, we want to create a culture of wellbeing at our homes which will naturally extend to our residents as well”.
Sammy Rubin, founder and CEO at YuLife, shares his thoughts:
“We’re thrilled to partner with Connaught to transform employee rewards and engagement in the adult care sector—an industry that truly deserves our attention and innovation. Carers play a vital role in our communities, often facing immense challenges. At YuLife, we believe it’s essential to support them holistically, empowering them to lead happier, healthier, and more fulfilling lives. By integrating cutting-edge gamification tools, we’re bringing a fresh approach to wellbeing and rewards, tailored to those who give so much to others.”
This new approach to employee benefits comes at a challenging time for the adult care sector. In the UK, staff turnover in care homes sits at roughly 24.2%; equivalent to approximately 350,000 leavers every year. There is also currently an 8.3% vacancy rate in the sector, accounting for around 131,000 positions which urgently need filling.
This staff retention problem is driven by many factors. Those who leave care homes often cite emotional burnout, uncompetitive pay and employee benefits, low levels of support from management, and unsociable hours as their chief reasons for quitting.
To address this problem, Connaught and YuLife believe homes must prioritise the health and financial stability of their staff – particularly in regard to mental health. They hope to provide one possible model for doing this which other homes could emulate, and will be reflecting on more ways to inspire talented people to remain in the sector in the coming months.
Andrew Winstanley again:
“For us, the concept of ‘complete care’ isn’t just marketing jargon – it’s a guiding philosophy which informs everything we do. And it means not just caring for our employees financially, but also taking care of their physical, mental, and spiritual health. Our message is: despite the many challenges of working in care, this is a meaningful and deeply rewarding profession which has so much to offer. It’s time for the whole industry to start shouting this from the rooftops!”
These benefits will be in addition to Connaught’s existing employee benefits policy, which includes a commitment to paying the highest salaries available in the sector, and to hiring and retaining 25% more on-duty carers than competitors. In December 2023, Connaught was named ‘Care Employer of the Year’ at Caring UK’s annual awards ceremony.
Image depicts YuLife Gamification of Rewards