SOSCN is an accredited "Living Wage" Employer and, as such, we firmly recommend that this rate is the least that should be paid to any member of staff.
The National Minimum Wage rate per hour depends on your age and whether you're an apprentice - you must be at least school leaving age to get it.
This is not to be confused with the official living wage rate above, the Chancellor of the UK announced in 2015, his version of a new national living wage, which is really a new national minimum wage. This is for workers aged 25 or over: the rates for this are: £7.50 per hour from April 2017
This rate applies from April 2017 and while we absolutely recommend the Living wage of at least £8.45 per hour we recognise that many services are still using the legal minimum. We also do not agree that under 25s should be paid less for doing the same work just because of their age. We recommend that services should put in a plan to gradually increase pay rates to at least reach the minimum Living Wage of £8.45 and bear in mind this rate increases every year.
Note: in terms of the Chancellors new "National Living Wage" in press releases etc. it is suggested that this rate will eventually over the next 4 years go up to £9 per hour.
* The lead practitioner variation in rates reflects the wide range of possible sizes of services and responsibilities involved. The above points in brackets show the closest points on the SJC scale from 2014 with 2015 and 2016 percentage increases (see note 6). The £15 rate for qualified childhood practice graduates reflects the average wage in Scotland.
The results of our workforce survey show at the lowest range there is still a lot of progress to be made in reaching even the recommended living wage level and indeed, since April 2017, to reach the new £7.50 minimum for 25 year olds and over. The highest ranges are encouraging.
For a national context in November 2015 average full time gross weekly pay in Scotland is £528,
this is £559 for men and £478 for women. Based on a 35 hr week this gives average hourly rates of
£15.09 overall average, £15.97 for men and £13.66 for women. The workforce survey shows how even at
the higher ranges staff in out of school care are earning below the national average.
source:
UK EARN05: Gross weekly earnings of full-time employees by region.
If your organisation is using these scales from our 2012 and 2014 briefing it might be helpful to know the following: (Extract from Unison website) as the scales are no longer nationally agreed or updated, however, there is some guidance from Unison.
"2015-2016. As of 1st April 2015, the Scottish Local Government Living Wage of £7.85ph will be applied,
following which there will be an increase of 1.5% on all spinal column points. This would achieve a Scottish Local Government Living Wage of £7.97ph."
source: Unison Scotland
"2016-2017. As of 1st April 2016, the Living Wage increased to the recommended figure of the
Living Wage Foundation, following which there will be an increase of 1% on all spinal column points."
source: Unison Scotland
This means if you are following this scale you add on 1.5% for 2015 with the lowest pay at £7.97 ph. From April 2016 there is 1% agreed by Unison so this would make the lowest rate £8.33. The 2014 payscales are still available here to help you work out pay increases on the points on the scale, as we have done (loosely) in the recommendations table.
Any updates from April 2017 will be appear here.
This guidance is based on information current for April 2017. This is not qualified legal advice. Please visit our website for updates beyond a year from this date. This is guidance only as pay and conditions are set by employers in out of school care, however, they should always meet the legal minimum required.
The Living Wage rate is generally updated every October, visit povertyalliance.org for more information and also if you want to become, like SOSCN, an Accredited Living Wage Employer, which we would encourage you to do.