A statement from the St Monica Trust regarding strike action

I would like to personally thank all St Monica Trust colleagues who reported for work, offered to work extra shifts or volunteered their services in support of their care home colleagues during the strike action.

It’s been truly humbling to witness how the organisation has come together to support each other and ensure that the vital task of caring for our residents can continue without interruption.

While we respect the right to strike, only 64 out of more than 500 of our care home colleagues voted in favour of strike action, with only around 20 colleagues staying away from work on strike days.

In contrast, 85% of our care home colleagues have now accepted the proposed changes, which were implemented across the Trust’s care homes on 1 July.

With the care home proposals now in place and with the pay of any adversely affected colleagues protected for at least two years, we have begun to put our care homes on a sound footing for the future.

The changes we have made will:

• Create a consistent and efficient structure across our care homes.
• Create increased career opportunities for colleagues.
• Increase resident facing colleague numbers and improve the experience of our residents.
• Target the largest increases in basic pay to those on the lowest incomes and help us to surpass the real living wage.

It was incredibly heartening to see during the strikes that the overwhelming majority of our care home colleagues reported for work as normal, put our residents well-being first and lived out the values of the Trust.

For this, and all the support we have received from inside and outside of the Trust, I am truly grateful.

David Williams, Chief Executive of the St Monica Trust