It pays to be a home care worker at award-winning London provider

A LEADING home care provider is on the hunt for more support workers and carers to meet with growing demand – and is offering pay above the London Living Wage.

SweetTree Homecare Services, who are based in South Hampstead, London, have been operating across London for more than 20 years helping more than 18,000 people in the capital to live more independently.

The impact of both Brexit and Covid had impacted the hiring of new staff, but the award-winning home care provider has been steadily recruiting and is still looking to fill vacancies.

The London Living Wage is an hourly rate of pay, currently set at £11.95 and is calculated independently to reflect the high cost of living in the capital, however, SweetTree Care Home offer a minimum of £12 per hour. The current National Living Wage is £10.42 per hour (aged 23 and over), £10.18 (aged 21–22) and £7.49 (18–20).

SweetTree Home Care Services is aiming to increase awareness about a career in care with them at Health & Social Care Jobs Live – the UK’s busiest recruitment event dedicated to the health and social care sector run by specialist event company Job Shows – at Westfield Shopping Centre in London on June 16-17.

Michelle Palmer, Director of People & Values at SweetTree Care Home, said: “We’re actively recruiting across London to meet demand with our sole aim of continuing to provide a premium service to facilitate more and more people remaining in their own homes with dignity, independence and control over their lives. 

“Care sector recruitment has been impacted by first Brexit and then Covid but working in care is still one of the most rewarding and flexible jobs ever and we’re keen to speak to any candidates who’re looking to join the profession or return to it.

“At SweetTree Homecare Services, we remain an independently-owned provider and we’re delighted to be able offer staff more than the London Living Wage, and empowering our employees with training and support to aid career development.

“We’re proud to have been a Sunday Times Best Company to work for and be rated as Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission two years in a row. We’re also very humble after winning five awards at the National Home Care Awards this year.”

SweetTree Homecare Services recently attended a general Job Shows event in White City last year and is looking forward to exhibiting at the health and social care industry specific, Health & Social Care Jobs Live, show in June.

“We attended the White City event which was our first post-pandemic show and it was really successful for us,” said Palmer. “It was really important for us to meet potential candidates ‘off screen’ in a friendly face-to-face environment.

“We were able to do ‘on the spot’ interviews and we filled lots of vacancies. Even months later we heard back from people who were not quite ready to make the move at the time who got back in touch and joined us later on,

“The fact Health & Social Care Jobs Live is aimed at specifically health and social care convinced us to sign up to this one too. We’re looking forward to raising awareness about a career in care at SweetTree and speaking to people who have a genuine interest in joining the care sector and making a real difference to people’s lives.”

SweetTree won five awards at the National Home Care Awards 2023 including the Grand Prix Golden Award for their outstanding overall performance and services for the past 21 years, the Day Care Expertise Award in recognition of the unique SweetTree Fields Farm which provides day care activities for their clients that promote self-development and independence, Specialist Care Award received by SweetTree’s highly skilled Brain Injury and Neurological Conditions Service team, Infection Control Award in recognition of the company’s highly effective response to the pandemic and Most Outstanding Independent Home Care Provider High Commendation due to their maintained Outstanding CQC rating and shining reviews.