A MENTAL health charity has received its Oxford Living Wage certificate from Oxford City Council.

Since 1989, Elmore Community Services has been supporting people with several overlapping problems, including mental ill health, homelessness, modern slavery, addictions, abuse and many more.

The Oxford Living Wage is currently set at £10.02 an hour, benchmarked at 95 per cent of the London Living Wage, to reflect the relatively high costs of living in the city compared to the rest of the UK.

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The Oxford Living Wage is a self-certification scheme.

Tom Hayes, chief executive of Elmore Community Services, said: “Elmore has become an Oxford Living Wage employer because we want to do the right thing by our skilled and committed workforce.”

To be accredited employers must confirm in writing that all directly employed staff will receive at least the Oxford Living Wage rate.

Apprentices are not included but employers may choose to extend the rate to them.

Accredited employers are asked to renew their commitment in writing to the council and so far this year 19 employers have renewed their accreditation.

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Oxford Living Wage employers have the right to display the Oxford Living Wage logo on their premises, and the city council provides a certificate for them to display.