Age-friendliness as a part of professionalism

• Recognise the valuable lived experience that older workers can offer
• Give everyone the same opportunities for training, development and promotion
• Remember that older workers often have more flexibility over hours
   

“Our founder, Olly Carter, started the company not only to be the best home care provider in Sussex but also the best employer,” says Jacqueline Cousins, Director of Marketing and Communications. 

“We have about 50 staff and have been an age-friendly employer from day one, employing people from age 18 to 70+. We strive to be age-friendly in our language and visuals. For example, we avoid close-ups of wrinkly hands and faces in favour of showing the rapport that can develop between Clients and CareGivers of any age, and our photoshoots set out to show CareGivers of a variety of ages, avoiding stereotypes about older people.

“We support older and disabled Clients to live independently at home. Some Clients love mixing with the younger generation, whilst others prefer home visits with someone closer to their own age.

“Part of our commitment to our staff is to provide training and development throughout the company, regardless of age. We give everyone a three-day induction. We encourage continuous learning, and offer the chance to qualify with NVQs. There is also regular reflective practice, where people come together to discuss the clients they share and learn from each other. 

“Having started life under lockdown meant that training could only be online at first. But our new Kingsway Care Academy was officially opened in February 2024, after running in shadow form since September 2023. 

“One of the stars of the Academy is Jonathan, aged 61, who was promoted to Training Coordinator/ Senior CareGiver and leads the training there. He brings 30 years of experience in the sector and age was no barrier to giving him that role – quite the contrary!  

“Opportunities for career advancement are available to all, whatever their age. We promoted four people to Senior CareGiver in the last quarter, two of whom were over 50.

“It’s important to us that people should be properly rewarded for their work. Not only have we always paid at least the Real Living Wage, but we also offer staff a guaranteed monthly income via fixed and part-time contracts. 

“If you choose to work at least 20 hours a week, you’ll receive a salary and the financial stability that brings. You also have the opportunity to earn more with unlimited overtime. Half our workforce has opted for that. We offer private medical insurance cover to our salaried employees too.

“We find that our older employees are particularly likely to take up the offer of a regular salary, often because they are likely to have the flexibility needed to juggle the higher hours.

“We are also the only home care provider to offer employee share ownership – everyone in the company participates in this, and it’s really motivating.

“Signing the Age-friendly Employer Pledge was natural, because being age-friendly is central to our beliefs. Older workers often have experience supporting a family member or relative with aspects of personal care, so are in a good position to take that further with ‘strangers’. We encourage our older workers to flourish in our multigenerational workforce and share their valuable lived experiences.

“Since we committed to the Pledge we have introduced private health insurance for health, dental and optical care, which has helped employees of all ages to put their health first. Many employees have adopted lifestyle changes which can reduce their premiums to zero – for example, if they give up smoking, cut back on alcohol and exercise more. So, as well as being able to make medical appointments in a timely manner, our CareGivers are also encouraged to take steps to stay healthy and age well which is a win-win for everyone.

“Our commitment to paying a guaranteed monthly wage has been a huge relief to our workforce, allowing them to plan their finances. Although we did this to be fair to all employees, we have found that the 60+ age group have voiced how much this has made a difference to them.

“We strive to be the best employer and treat everyone with courtesy and respect, regardless of age.”