Anchor moves to real living wage and posts positive half year results

• Strong performance in half year results announcement for the six months ended 30 September 2021

• Anchor to pay the Living Wage Foundation rates for all current National Living Wage hourly rate roles across its entire portfolio, the first large care and housing group in the sector to do so

Anchor, England’s largest not-for-profit provider of housing and care for older people, has today posted a strong financial performance in its half year results announcement. Highlights include: 

• A recovery in occupancy and operating margin in line with the organisation’s Covid-19 recovery plan. As part of this, occupancy in care homes reached the March 2022 year-end recovery target, rising to 84.1%, by 30 September 2021.
• New properties delivered on time, and seeing good consumer demand, in line with Business Plan target to build 5,700 affordable and energy efficient homes over 10 years.
• Continued A+ stable rating from S&P and G1/V1 rating from the Regulator of Social Housing

The organisation has also voluntarily committed to paying the Living Wage Foundation’s Real Living Wage rates. The trading statement includes the announcement of the decision to apply the Living Wage Foundation rates of pay across all current National Living Wage hourly rate roles across Anchor from 1 December 2021

Jane Ashcroft CBE, Chief Executive of Anchor, said: “We’re committed to providing competitive rates of pay, an excellent range of benefits and outstanding opportunities to develop your career in a hugely fulfilling sector.

We recognise that our achievements would not be possible without the efforts of our skilled and dedicated colleagues, and I would like to thank them for their continued work. Availability of a suitably qualified and experienced workforce is crucial to achieving quality services for residents, high levels of regulatory compliance and occupancy and therefore a sustainable and successful business.

The organisation will also be working towards gaining Living Wage Employer Accreditation.

The full trading statement is available at www.anchor.org.uk/investors