A Solihull care provider is hoping its progressive attitudes towards staff pay and a recent move to bigger offices, allowing them to train carers on site, will be a catalyst for growth.
Care Affair Solihull has recently moved into Blythe Valley Innovation Centre – owned by Solihull Council and managed by the University of Warwick Science Park – in a bid to help recruit more carers.
The company, which currently provides care for 34 clients in their homes across the Solihull borough, now benefits from a dedicated training area next to its office, thanks to the Innovation Centre. This new space offers a more structured and spacious environment for in-person training.
Julie Rowlands, owner and director of Care Affair Solihull, said the move will be an important step in helping the business add to its 22 members of staff and provide its services to more people across the borough.
She said: “We’ve always ensured our staff are paid significantly above minimum wage, and that their travel time is taken into account when calculating hours worked, which is not something all care providers do.
“But one of the biggest differences between us and other providers is that we pay a higher rate for caring time compared to travel time. This incentivises our staff to ensure the care they give to clients is of the highest quality before leaving their home.
“These reasons have meant staff retention levels are high and the quality of the care they give is better as a result.
“However, we’re at a stage now where we want to market ourselves more effectively and grow our business across Solihull. That’s where the move to Blythe Valley Innovation Centre has come in.
“Having a more attractive working environment for our staff, with better transport links and parking, as well as the ability to give our staff new training on-site, will help us to hire new carers and retain them.
“It also gives us great opportunities to collaborate with fellow tenants here, as well as nearby healthcare providers.
“We’re confident the move will help us hire new carers and keep them, and we’re excited to see what the future holds.”
Andy Stewart, centre manager at Blythe Valley Innovation Centre, added: “Care Affair Solihull are bucking the trend of a lot of care providers with their growth ambitions and their attitude towards pay, and it’s great to see Blythe Valley Innovation Centre playing a direct role in their next stage of growth.
“We worked with Care Affair Solihull to ensure they had a dedicated area for training alongside its general office space, and we hope it can help its staff learn the skills they need to provide the best possible care for their clients.”
Cllr Ian Courts, Leader of Solihull Council and Cabinet Member for the Economy, said: “We are delighted to welcome Care Affair Solihull to the Blythe Valley Innovation Centre as they look to expand their workforce and take on more clients.
“It was great to meet Julie and the team at their fantastic new facilities and discuss their plans for future growth.
“I’m always encouraged to see providers invest in training and developing their people so that they can progress their careers in this vital sector. “We look forward to seeing Care Affair Solihull continue to grow and make a positive impact on the lives of residents across the borough.”
