Elizabeth Finn Homes operates eight care homes across England and employs over 750 staff, all of whom are paid a Real Living Wage. We are a wholly owned subsidiary of the charity Turn2us and were founded by Elizabeth Finn, a pioneering philanthropist, who set up the Distressed Gentlefolks’ Aid Association in 1897. Although we run on a commercial basis, 100% of our rent and profit passes to Turn2us to support its work addressing financial insecurity across the UK.
Progressive policy
In line with Elizabeth Finn Homes’ commitment to being an outstanding employer, and with the full support of our charity owners, we have launched a progressive family leave policy that aims to provide all employees who become parents the opportunity to take time to bond with, support and raise their child during the first year of the child’s life, or in the case of adoption, the first year of an employee becoming a parent to the child.
This policy is the first major step in our new strategy since I took over as Chief Executive in Spring 2023. I am passionate about both excellence in care and addressing financial insecurity and have a long history of involvement in the charity sector, previously as Chief Executive at sight loss charity, Vision Foundation, and earlier, I led fundraising and communications at children’s mental health charity, Place2Be, and autism research charity, Autistica.
A bigger social purpose
Elizabeth Finn Homes is an exceptional organisation. We are a leader in quality care, with 100% of our homes rated ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission and heartwarming reviews from residents and families. We are an award-winning employer, offering unrivalled career opportunities. We offer unique, heritage properties in beautiful grounds across England, and to top it all, everything we do is driven by a bigger social purpose.
We invest first in our homes and staff to ensure a best-in-class experience for residents and families, but then all profit goes to support those facing financial insecurity across the UK through the work of Turn2us. Despite the success of Elizabeth Finn Homes, our Board felt there was still more we could do to ensure the happiness and wellbeing of our residents and staff and to set new standards as an exemplar for the sector.
In particular, we were keen to ensure that the voices of residents, their families and frontline workers were heard, and to then incorporate this feedback in the group’s new five-year strategy, Where People Flourish, launched in April this year.
Recognition of care workers
There were several objectives at the heart of the team’s vision for the company which we have worked to implement over the past year. One key goal is for Elizabeth Finn Homes to be a leading advocate in calling for change and encouraging others in terms of the support and recognition of care workers. Already proud to be a Real Living Wage employer, offering generous staff benefits and pension schemes, we felt there was more that could be done. Taking a lead from feedback received from staff and residents, we worked with our parent charity, Turn2us, to lay down a family leave policy that would greatly improve financial security and work-life balance.
As well as the clear moral imperative to allow carers to care for their own families, this policy also makes great business sense. If employees do not feel valued, they can simply go and work for your competitors – or leave the care sector altogether. This results in vacancies which impact care, plus recruitment and agency spending. In this, like so many areas, being a caring business also means being a successful business.
Outstanding and inclusive careers
The new policy also reflects our commitment to listening to our residents and relatives in all strategic decisions. Our residents have told us that the loving staff who support them every day hold an important place in their hearts and knowing that we are an ethical employer is fundamental to their own happiness in our homes.
This marks a significant milestone in our strategic objective to provide outstanding and inclusive careers in care, operating as an exemplary employer. This policy is a firm commitment to supporting staff who are about to embark on the journey of parenthood, whether through pregnancy or adoption, whether birth parent or partner.
The new policy is more in line with parental policies outside of the care sector and is greatly enhanced in comparison to statutory requirements. Current statutory maternity pay is six weeks at 90% of standard pay and then 33 weeks at statutory pay which is currently £184.03 a week – this means that most employees who go on maternity are ‘losing money’ compared to their standard pay.
Indeed, according to findings issued by Maternity Action in 2023, 71% of women on maternity leave worry about money. To reduce spending, three-quarters turn their heating off or down and a quarter skip a meal – with one in 20 going without food for a whole day. Today, the basic rate statutory maternity pay is just 47% of the National Living Wage, in comparison to 2021 when it was 62.5%.
In contrast, our new policy will pay staff for 13 weeks at full pay, followed by 13 weeks at 50% of pay and then 13 weeks at statutory, meaning our employees will be significantly better off than on the statutory minimum. The eligibility criteria of the new policy also seeks to be more inclusive, and includes birth parents and partners regardless of gender, as well as people planning to adopt. Supporting our staff during this important phase of their lives aligns with Turn2us, our charity owners’ own vision of financial security for all.
Positive experiences
Early indicators from our most recent staff survey show an increase in positivity amongst younger staff members and women in comparison to 2023 feedback, which we feel may be attributed to the improved parental policy, alongside wider commitments to prioritise the wellbeing and development of our employees. The percentage of staff who would recommend Elizabeth Finn Homes as a place to work has jumped from 70% to 80% in just eight months. New parents already benefiting from the new policy have also been keen to share their positive experiences.
Jessica Walters, Home Manager, said ‘I have worked for Elizabeth Finn for 14 years and the implementation of the new family leave policy is amazing. I am starting my maternity leave in September and this policy has given me and my husband financial security and made things that little bit easier when our whole world is about to turn upside down with our first baby. ‘The company have always looked after its staff, but this is setting a real example to the wider health and social care sector. I am proud to work for a company that nurtures its employees and look forward to returning after nine months to continue to work for such a supportive company.’ Michael Taylor, Receptionist, said, ‘I recently became a father and can’t thank Elizabeth Finn Homes enough for their support and understanding. The new policy has meant I am able to have six weeks paternity leave which can be taken anytime. This way I have been able to support my partner in the early challenging days, as well as being able to bond with my son. ‘We both learned together about the baby, how to raise a child, and the approach we would take as parents and how to be part of that process together. It has helped me to return to work feeling energised.’
Time to step up
We are so keen to see other care home operators follow the lead of Elizabeth Finn Homes – and to hear what others are doing in this space. The margins in care are incredibly tight, and we work in a chronically underfunded sector trying to meet ever-mounting needs and costs. But short-changing new parents is a false economy. Compared to care sector spending on agency staff and recruitment, excellent family policies might be just the investment we should be making to keep care workers – 81% of whom are women – healthy, happy and retained by our sector.
What other workforce initiatives would you like to see introduced to support new families in the sector? Leave a comment on this feature or join the conversation to share your thoughts.
Dr Olivia Curno is Chief Executive at Elizabeth Finn Homes.
Email: [email protected] Linkedin: Elizabeth Finn Homes