Care provider Hartford Care has been accredited as a Living Wage Employer, with everyone working at its 16 care and nursing homes across the south of England receiving a minimum hourly wage of £9.90, higher than the government minimum for over-23s, which stands at £9.50 an hour.

Hartford Care is part of a family-owned business, established in 1908, that runs care and nursing homes in Bristol, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire.

Sean Gavin, chief executive of Hartford Care, said: “As we continue growing and thriving as a company, we want to show a positive commitment to our incredible teams who work tirelessly to keep our residents safe and especially over the past two years during the pandemic.

“We make significant investments in our staff through our bespoke training and development programmes. We hope that offering the Living Wage will be another incentive for more passionate, dedicated people to come and join Hartford Care. This is along with all the other current benefits we provide including Wagestream, access to a GP service and Hartford Rewards.”

Katherine Chapman, director at the Living Wage Foundation said: “We’re delighted that Hartford Care has joined the movement of almost 9,000 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on.

“They join thousands of small businesses, as well as household names such as Burberry, Barclays, Everton Football Club and many more. These businesses recognise that paying the Real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like Hartford Care, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.”