11 Mar 2025
St Albans MP Daisy Cooper accepted an invitation by home-care provider Abbots Care to join them on the Providers Day of Action recent protest in London.
Managing director Camille Leavold, along with Helen Sinden (operations director), Sarah Hurley (care director) and Marie Ostler (finance director) attended this demonstration with the Homecare Association, of which Camille is a board member, along with hundreds of care workers across all sectors.
Daisy joined the delegation from Hertfordshire at the protest.
The care providers lobbied MPs on the implications for the sector of the increases in employer National Insurance contributions and the national living wage, which are due to come into force in April.
Camille said: “I am pleased that I was able to join the protest along with Helen and Sarah and am thrilled that we received the support of our local MP Daisy Cooper.
“Hundreds of care providers attended the protest and rally to highlight how serious the underfunding of the care sector is and the huge implications of the increase in NI contributions and the national living wage are going to have on care providers.
“As the campaign group #ProvidersUnite have pointed out to the government today as part of our day of action, our sector is critically underfunded today, and we need £8.4bn to meet future demand, improve access to care and cover the full cost of care by 2024/25. The years of chronic underfunding of the sector and the impact of the Autumn budget is going to bring the sector to its knees.
“I set up Abbots Care 30 years ago, and in that time, nine successive Prime Ministers have failed to address the issue of poorly funded social care, which has heaped pressure on the NHS. The clock is ticking, we need Government action now to ensure that we can continue to provide a high-quality of care to our aging population.”
Camille, who was a carer from a young age, founded Abbots Care nearly 30 years ago in 1995 with her mum Stephanie and her sister. All three had a history of working in the care sector and felt frustrated with the way the agencies that they worked for were run.
Fast forward nearly 30 years and Abbots Care is responsible for supporting 1,300 customers and some 500 care workers across Herts, Bucks and Dorset.
In June 2021 Camille was the first recipient of the new Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care award, for her work in the pandemic. Camille was awarded the gold award, which recognised outstanding achievements and performance demonstrated by a nurse or social care worker in their sphere of practice.
To lend your support to the Providers Unite Day of Action, you can add your signature or support on social media. See https://www.providersunite.co.uk
