One of the country's top-performing care providers for adults with learning disabilities is celebrating its 20th anniversary

Home From Home Care, which operates 11 care homes across Greater Lincolnshire, is beginning its 20th anniversary celebrations with a pay rise for its 500-strong team.

Paul and Ann de Savary were inspired to launch Home From Home Care in 2004 by their daughter, Laura, who has learning disabilities. Together with Laura's brother, Hugo, the family has grown the organisation into a leading specialist niche care provider.

Last month, the company was awarded Platinum status by Investors in People for the second time running, and it also won three categories in the Lincolnshire Care Awards 2023, including Outstanding Care Team.

To begin a year of festivities to mark the company's 20th anniversary, the family have brought forward an inflationary pay increase that was set for April. It means the entire team at Home From Home Care has been given a surprise pay rise worth 4.08% in recognition of their role in its continuing success and raising the lowest level of pay in line with the new real living wage.

Managing director and co-founder of Home From Home Care, Paul de Savary said:

"20 years ago, we had this idea of creating a care environment like no other; one that truly supports the aspirations of adults with learning disabilities, autism and complex physical and mental health to live their lives to the fullest and which would give their families confidence.

"In reality it's a journey that has no ending as we continually focus on creating and maintaining a successful organisation that can transform the lives of the 90 individuals that we support in Lincolnshire.

"At the heart of everything is our Just Culture of transparency, collaborative working, creative solutions and a shared sense of purpose and belonging, together with our outstanding technology and groundbreaking use of data. It's our ability to empower colleagues to be more effective and understanding, making our care homes homely for individuals with the most complex needs. We're enabling them to live life on their own terms and interact with their local communities, whilst making care an exciting and well paid career with a 100 different roles.

"Here, colleagues are respected and rewarded for making a real difference in the lives of others, whilst simultaneously realising their own potential. As a family we want to thank our dedicated, creative and empathetic colleagues, so we're bringing forward our inflationary increase in pay to give everyone an extra pay boost at the start of our anniversary year.

"There'll be other exciting news from us in the year ahead, but I think it's right to start off our 20th anniversary celebration with a big, bold, thank you to everyone who is helping to make our dream come true."

Bringing forward the company's inflationary pay rise, which is normally granted from 1st April, means that all colleagues now earn at least £12 per hour. This is the same as the real Living Wage, as determined by the Living Wage Foundation. It means that colleagues in entry-level roles can earn £25,038 during their first year at Home From Home Care and colleagues as well as a monthly bonus which rises from 1-6% for each consecutive month without an unauthorised absence. For entry level roles, this is the equivalent of up to £1,500 extra.

One of the main innovations that makes Home From Home Care unique among care providers is the company's high-tech, data-informed model of care. The system, which was developed in-house over 14 years, utilises data from across Home From Home Care, increasing the company's ability to anticipate and resolve potential issues before they emerge.

Specialist teams also support registered managers by carrying out additional specialist care and management functions, freeing up care home managers to concentrate on front line care delivery. The platform, named Zone Standard, has been hailed as "pioneering" and "sector-leading" by Investors in People and it won the Tech for Good Award in the Lincolnshire Technology & Innovation Awards 2021.

The platform has also opened up a much broader range of career opportunities and pathways for Home From Home Care colleagues, with 100 different roles across the company which people can progress to in an environment of continual training and development.

Home From Home Care's 20th anniversary will be celebrated throughout 2024, with one of the main events being a special anniversary ball to be held in May when individuals supported by Home from Home Care and their loved ones will be able to enjoy an utterly inclusive and uplifting day of fun.

For more information about Home From Home Care, visit www.homefromhomecare.com.