Better status and pay for care workers

Care workers, whether in residential homes or making domiciliary visits are vital to the well-being of vulnerable people, both young and old, and are as important a part of our social structure as the NHS, but their salaries and status do not reflect the importance of their role .

With our increasingly ageing demographic, I would like this service to be considered part of the the health service, with improved pay and working conditions which would make it a popular career choice for young men and women. While the carers I have observed are dedicated to their job and the people they look after, there are not enough of them and they are unable to give sufficient time to meet the needs of each client.

The cost of a better service, which is needed urgently, should not be borne solely by local government but should be prioritised by the Scottish Government with a modest increase in taxes to cover the cost

Why the contribution is important

Care work is grossly undervalued: a good standard of assistance given to people in their own homes enables frail or disabled people to remain independent, giving them freedom and dignity, which also keeps them out of hospitals where they might otherwise be.

In a residential setting, frail men and women have their every need attended to enhancing their quality of life and enabling them to participate as far as possible in their local community.

Until now, the care service sector has not been at the forefront of Government thinking, but has been highlighted by the dreadful situation which emerged with the incidence of Covid 19 in care homes.

by Herewego on May 06, 2020 at 08:55PM

Current Rating

Average rating: 4.3
Based on: 18 votes

Comments

  • Posted by GillHain May 06, 2020 at 21:42

    Raise status and pay and improve education and training to avoid the kind of situation that has been exposed.
    Give CQC proper oversight and teeth to act - on individuals, hierarchy, management and owners - including corner-cutting and lack of PPE.

  • Posted by Lamb78 May 06, 2020 at 22:21

    Care workers deserve better status and higher pay. If it wasn’t for these absolutely amazing, caring skilled men and women keeping our most vulnerable safe in their own homes the nhs would be overwhelmed.

  • Posted by BUTEMACS May 07, 2020 at 01:32

    Strongly agree with this idea & all the comments already made

  • Posted by roobie May 08, 2020 at 11:16

    I strongly agree with this, care work requires multiple skills and is a very challenging job; it is woefully underpaid.
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