how are we different?
We want to keep power in the hands of those who matter most: the people giving and receiving support. We are owned by those we support, their families and the workers of Equal Care.
We respect our care workers: at Equal Care, the pay is better, there is space to build lasting caregiving relationships and people have choice and control over their day-to-day lives.
People joining us can decide if they want to come on as independent workers (self-employed) or as employed workers on PAYE. Find out more about the differences here.
equal care gives you...
more money
As a co-operative, we pay more, and as an employee we pay the same rate for giving support, for travelling between bookings and for training.
In fact, we pay you for all the work involved in your job as a professional care and support worker, and you get 30 days holiday per year and receive a pension and access to sick pay.
For people choosing to work independently, you are paid for the hours of caregiving or any work you do to contribute to the co-op. This means the hourly rate has to be higher than for our employed workers to cover things like holiday and sickness.
Independent worker rates are set by you and are between £15 - £20 per hour (sometimes there is an hourly cap, depending on the person you are supporting).
Tap the button below to see how we compare for employed workers (Calderdale only at the moment):
relationships that matter
Regardless of whether you are employed or independent, it's a mutual decision to say yes to supporting somebody. Visits are usually longer and you get to see people regularly. There's space to get to know each other.
choice and control
You decide what your regular hours will be and this is agreed in your employment contract. You can shape your work to fit around your other life commitments and agree any changes directly with the people you support.
Working independently, we will help you build your hours to your desired amount to help you reach your income goals.
As we are a co-operative, you can become an owner of Equal Care and help decide our priorities and direction.
opportunities
If you want, you can opt to acquire new expertise as part of your role: we call these 'hats'. Gain experience in recruitment, support planning, peer supervision and other capabilities to help you advance to that next step in your career.