Yes councils pay less, often considerably so. The non-profit care provider I chaired received zero fee increases from several councils last April when our minimum wage and NI costs went up 12%

Average 2026 rates £1,298/wk residential care, £1,535 nursing (more for dementia care) according to carehome.co.uk

Sorry to hear this Matthew but well done on standing your ground (from a supine position)

close but no snail farms

‘Chris Mason, BBC, two questions if I may ….’ 🙁

Really? That surprises me. Would have guessed Nero was higher.

Brand and shops feel tired and sorely in need of upgrade