Rotherham Council has become the latest local authority to sign up to UNISON’s ethical care charter.

Council leader Chris Read joined UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis to formally sign the charter yesterday.

The charter commits the Council to continue working with the borough’s care companies to help end zero-hours contracts and reflect travel time between home care visits in care workers’ pay.

As a result of this commitment, all home care firms contracted to work with the council will pay at least the real living wage – currently £9.30 an hour – to all their employees from April 2020. This will give a pay rise to around 800 home care workers.

Rotherham becomes the 46th signatory to the charter since it was established in 2013.

Cllr Chris Read, Labour Leader of Rotherham Council, has said:

“We have been working towards this charter for some time, this is an important step in continuing to improve our services, valuing the dignity of both our staff and service users. This charter commits to a better service for them and better conditions for local people working with them.”

Commenting on the signing, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “Care workers play a vital role in improving the quality of life for huge numbers of vulnerable and elderly people. They should be treated with respect and deserve to be treated well at work.

“By signing UNISON’s ethical care charter, Rotherham Council is setting an example about the way we value workers who’re so important to our communities.”