ELFT has been accredited as a Living Wage Employer by the Living Wage Foundation.
It had pledged to provide a wage that helps people meet their everyday needs. That is now standard for all staff employed directly by the Trust.
ELFT is also working with suppliers to ensure as many of them as possible do the same. As of 2024, 82 per cent of our suppliers pay the Real Living Wage, compared to just 22 per cent three years ago.
The aim is for all suppliers to provide a real living wage by 2026. One of the Trust’s key successes has been in a new contract with OCS, a company providing services like cleaning, catering and electrical services on ELFT sites, which began in 2022.
The contract secured an increase in monthly take-home pay of nearly £185 for domestic cleaners and porters at the Trust. Policies on paid sickness and maternity leave have also been brought into line with NHS Terms and Conditions.
The living wage programme is part of ELFT’s approach to improving population health. ELFT aims to work to ensure the right building blocks are in place to improve health and stop lives being cut short in our communities. Improving population health is central to the Trust strategy.
The Trust’s Executive Director of Integrated Care and Deputy Chief Executive, Richard Fradgley, said: “Gaining accreditation status from the Living Wage Foundation underpins our commitment to supporting colleagues with their everyday needs. The last few years have provided difficult financial challenges for our communities, so it has been important to do our part for those who provide excellent care for service users and carers.”
The Trust, including the People Participation Cost of Living Lead Susan Downing, have regularly provided cost of living support information and webinars for staff and community partners. This has included advice for reducing household bills, and access to free and low-cost resources.