Not all care companies are the same

Being a carer is a wonderfully rewarding job, but it’s no secret that it is not a highly paid job – at least not when you are starting out in the care industry.

It doesn’t help that different care companies have different ways of working out their rates of pay.

Here at Sentinel Care Services, we offer a flat hourly rate for our carers which we pay whether they are actually caring for a client or travelling in between appointments.

After all, when you are caring for people within their homes in Shropshire and Staffordshire – both large, rural counties – it goes with the territory that some travelling will be required.

But many care companies don’t include travel time in their pay, so they offer what looks like a higher rate of pay but can leave a carer worse off. Have a look at the image below which compares the two approaches.

So if you are considering a job in care, make sure you ask any prospective company whether the hourly rate includes ‘downtime’ such as travelling – it could have a big impact on your pay packet.

For more information about a career in care, give us a call on 0845 129 8157.