Visiting Angelz, a nurse-led care at home service, specialising in providing personal and domestic care all across Renfrewshire since 2012, has become the first social care employer to become Living Hours accredited in Scotland.
Living Hours accreditation requires employers to pay the real Living Wage to all their employees over the age of 18 and commit to providing at least four weeks’ notice for every shift, with guaranteed payment if shifts are cancelled within this notice period.
Living Hours employers also provide a guaranteed minimum of 16 hours every week (unless the worker requests otherwise), and a contract that accurately reflects hours worked.
Visiting Angelz has been an accredited Living Wage employer since 2019 and this announcement of their commitment to Living Hours further demonstrates the importance they place on setting standards for fair work.
Angela Magee, Service Manager and Owner, said:
“There are many beliefs around working in the care sector, that are both outdated and false regarding job security and to have this accreditation provides recognition to our wonderful team and hopefully will appeal to those who may like the thought of joining the workforce but are unsure of pay, terms, and conditions.
In these times of hardship in our communities, it is important to not only pay people fairly, but to provide them with stability and security at work and the opportunities that come with that through secure working terms. Hard-working, dedicated people should have the opportunities to realise their full potential in all areas of their lives.”
Rachel Morrison-McCormick, Projects Co-Ordinator, Living Wage Scotland said:
“We are delighted to welcome Visiting Angelz as our first social care Living Hours employer. There are over 3,400 Living Wage employers in Scotland and it is great to see Visiting Angelz take further steps to protect their workers from low pay and insecure work by becoming Living Hours accredited.
The values that led them to commit to the real Living Wage are the same values that have led to their expanded commitment to fair work at a time when workers need it most.”
Research published by the Living Wage Foundation showed that over 9% of workers in Scotland are in insecure work and paid below the Living Wage. This is approximately 250,000 workers. The Living Hours standard was created to ensure that people have predictable working patterns and income, enabling them to better plan their lives.