• Adoption of GMB’s Ethical Care Charter will see the end of exploitative ‘task and time’ which sees carers paid less than the minimum wage in some cases.

GMB, the union for care workers and Wakefield Council have committed to boosting the pay of carers who conduct home visits - known as domiciliary care workers - by scrapping the controversial ‘task and time’ model.

Task and time see the overwhelmingly female workforce sometimes paid below the minimum wage due to the way it calculates how long home visits take.

The council has also committed to the principles of the GMB’s Ethical Care Charter.

The charter has seen the council commit to the commissioning of care in blocks; Better pay, that’s more in line with local government workers; More money for training when signing contracts with providers, and Union involvement in care commissioning and planning.

Wakefield Council Leader, Denise Jeffrey, said:

“Throughout the pandemic local care workers have gone above and beyond in supporting vulnerable residents in their homes, often at great personal risk.

“Signing up to the charter is the right thing to do for carers and patients.

“Boosting the pay of local workers creates a virtuous cycle boosting our local economy and boosting low pay at a time when people’s wages are under pressure.

GMB Senior Organiser, Desiree Wilburn, said:

“Thousands of female home carers across Yorkshire have worked hard over the last two years to look after some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

“The Conservative Government has cut billions from local government and left local communities footing the bill.

“That’s why despite the pressures, it’s great to see Wakefield adopting our Ethical Care Charter - it begins to move us towards a system of care that looks after and supports workers and patients.”