South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust jointly receive Living Wage Champion Award 2023
David Bradley, CEO of South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, and Lizzie Smith Lizzie Smith, Regional Director, Health Education England, have been jointly crowned Health and Social Care Champions at the Living Wage Champion Awards 2023.
The annual awards celebrate individuals and organisations who have shown exceptional leadership on promoting the Living Wage within their own organisation throughout the wider sector and supply chain.
David Bradley, Chief Executive of the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, said:
I believe being a Living Wage Employer is the right thing to do, and I’m proud that our Trust has been so since February 2020. Since then, I’ve been focusing on encouraging my colleagues across the health and social care sector in London to accredit. Our staff are our greatest asset and we know that colleagues who feel supported at work provide the best care for our patients and people who use our services. An important way of demonstrating this support to our colleagues is to pay a living wage so they can support themselves and their families.
Nearly one in 10 of London’s working age population are employed in the health and care sector. But nearly a fifth (17%) of these people are paid below the London Living Wage.
David has been working with The Living Wage Foundation on its ‘Making London a Living Wage City’ project as the Chair of the Health and Social Care Action strand to encourage employers to pay the Living Wage. In the first year of the project, the number of accredited NHS Trusts in London has increased threefold (23% to 60%). More broadly, London-based Living Wage employers across the health and social care have grown by 35%.
As of June 2023, there are 150 London Living Wage accredited employers in the health and social care sector. The project aims to reach a target of 200 accreditations by 2025.
These numbers translate to 4,415 more people working in health and social care who have received a pay rise in the last year to the London Living Wage, which is set at £11.95 p/h for 2022/23.
The Living Wage is calculated according to the basic cost of living in the UK, and employers choose to pay it on a voluntary basis. The UK Living Wage is currently £10.90 per hour. There is a separate London Living Wage rate of £11.95 per hour to reflect the higher cost of living in the capital. These figures are calculated annually by the Resolution Foundation and overseen by the Living Wage Commission, based on the best available evidence on living standards in London and the UK.
Katherine Chapman, Director, Living Wage Foundation, said:
Given the challenges of the past three years, the record increase in Living Wage Employers is truly remarkable. The Living Wage movement has never been stronger, and in the current cost of living crisis, it has never mattered more. Nearly 13,000 Living Wage Employers have recognised this and signed up to ensure that everyone who works for them, including third party contractors like cleaners and security guards, earns a wage that meets everyday needs. Tonight, we are celebrating the outstanding leadership these employers have shown in providing stability and security in their industries, communities, and wider society. They are leading the way in building a better and more equal world, and I warmly congratulate David and Lizzie on their well-deserved award.
