The majority of councils are failing to pay their homecare providers enough to ensure quality of care for the elderly, according to new research.
A new report, published by the United Kingdom Homecare Association (UKHCA), found that only 28 councils out of 203 surveyed paid their providers the recommended £15.74 per hour.
The average price per hour in England was actually £13,77 per hour, with councils in Northern Ireland paying the average lowest at £11.35 per hour.
The association warned that this deficit could put elderly people at risk and council funding cuts will only worsen the ‘already critical situation’.
Policy director at UKHCA, Colin Angel, said: ‘Low prices paid for homecare services carry a number of risks, including poor terms and conditions for the workforce, insufficient resources to organise the service and insufficient training for the complex work that supports the increasingly frail and disabled individuals who qualify for state-funded support.
‘Unless this underfunding is addressed, the independent and voluntary sector will continue to struggle to recruit and retain careworkers with the right disposition, training and qualifications.’