A major care provider that campaigned for the government to increase pay for care staff has announced it will boost its own frontline workers’ wages even further.

ENABLE Scotland has increased the basic hourly rate of its 2,000 care workers to £10.40.

Theresa Shearer, the charity’s CEO, said the Living Wage should be seen as a “floor not the ceiling” for pay in the sector.

The third-sector care provider supports more than 6000 people with learning disabilities to live independently, as well as providing community projects and campaigns across the country.

The move was welcomed by trade union Unison, which said: “It is clear that the Scottish Living Wage is not retaining staff within the sector, and the offer of £10.40 is an example of ENABLE Scotland’s commitment to moving beyond Scottish Government minimum requirements.”

In October Health and Social Care Secretary Humza Yousaf announced plans to increase care workers’ pay by around 5% to £10.02.

However the plans have been hit by funding delays, with some payments likely not to be made to providers until February 2022.

Recruitment challenges in the sector have been exacerbated by an increasingly competitive labour market, with a recent survey showing up to nine in ten third sector providers have found hiring staff more difficult.

Even with a pay rise, concerns remain that the recruitment drive currently underway in the health service will ‘inadvertently’ divert staff from social care.

ENABLE says the “warmly welcomed” Scottish government-funded pay increase pledge had allowed it to “develop an enhanced proposal beyond that” to better retain and recruit staff.

CEO Theresa Shearer said: “It has always been ENABLE Scotland’s view that the living wage was the floor and not the ceiling for frontline social care pay, and we will continue to campaign for an overall package of terms and conditions for a highly-skilled, professional workforce which truly reflects the value of their critical contribution to our society.”  

A report commissioned by the not-for-profit provider showed the widescale economic benefits of a pay rise, just weeks before the government committed to increasing the hourly wage for care workers to £10.02 from the 1^st of December.

The announcement comes as part of the charity’s Committed to Care package that aims to better recognise the commitment of staff in what is traditionally a low-paid and undervalued sector.

Enhanced incentives, like a £500 ‘Refer a Friend’ scheme and boosted rates of pay in areas where social care staffing is most challenging, make up the rest of the £2.5m investment.

Ms Shearer added: “As a not-for-profit care provider, in partnership with our recognised trade union, we are resolutely committed to investing in our frontline staff teams universally, and demonstrating the impact of going even further in areas where the sector experiences recruitment challenges, or where it is imperative to retain high quality staff teams around an individual.”

Read more: Care worker pay rise hit by funding delays; Care workers swayed by NHS recruitment campaign; Insight: Where is the “levelling up” for social care?

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