Southdown’s 2024 Pay Award

Posted on 30 March 2024

We are really pleased to announce that we will be increasing our base rate pay from April 2024 to continue paying our colleagues above the Real Living Wage. This pay rise will be for all our colleagues and means we can continue to be a leader in the local care sector.

From the 1st of April, all our colleagues will receive a 3% pay increase, and colleagues in our lowest-paid roles will receive a 5% pay increase.

Whilst there remains uncertainty around annual 2024/25 funding fee uplifts for our commissioned contracts (our main income source) with Local Authorities and the NHS facing significant funding gaps, we know that doing nothing is not an option. Despite the risk and uncertainty, we are committed to continuing to pay at least the Real Living Wage and reducing in-work poverty.

Neil Blanchard, Southdown’s Chief Executive, says:

Whilst being able to award a salary increase is good news, I appreciate continued inflationary pressures and that cost of living continues to be very challenging. We always aim to pay our colleagues as much as is possible and unfortunately, right now, this is the very upper limit we can afford. Our next focus is ensuring we continue to lobby, negotiate, and appeal for fair funding so we can further invest in pay and staff benefits throughout the year. Thank you to all my colleagues’ hard work to help us be there for people across Sussex and make a difference.

Pay Award from the 1st April 2024

• Colleagues on our lowest paid spinal point (spinal point 19) will receive a 5.2% pay increase and all other colleagues will receive a 3% increase. This will increase our lowest salary level from £11.50 to £12.10, achieving our pay principle to offer base salaries above the Real Living Wage (currently £12.00 per hour).
• An increase for weekday ‘on call’ payments from £9.03 to £12.00 and weekend ‘on call’ payments from £19.97 to £25.00.
• TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment rights) colleagues will receive a 2.5% pay increase.

Improved Pension Offer

From the 1st April, we will also be launching our improved pension offer (moving from ‘relief at source’ to ‘Salary Exchange’). This will see staff benefit from an increase in employer contribution, as well as saving in National Insurance. To find out more about our employee benefits, click here.

To find out more about what it’s like to work with us and to discover our current vacancies click here.