Shortage of healthcare workers: what is it like to work in the industry?
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Thousands of carer positions go unfilled in England and the total number of carers is falling, leaving more people without support. What does it look like for those working in the industry and why do some choose to stick it out, while others leave?
Source d’images, Stuart Ratcliffe / BBC“We don’t do this work for the money, we do it because we love what we do,” says Debra Purnell.
The 50-year-old carer runs a care business in Daventry, Northamptonshire.
Like many businesses similar to hers, she struggles to retain staff.
She says it’s “not easy work” and some people leave after just a week when they realize the amount of hard work involved.
She hopes the government will give carers more recognition and funding for training.
Last figurespublished in October, show that the number of care workers in England has fallen for the first time and the number of vacant care roles has increased by more than half.
Industry body Skills for Care found that in March 2022 there were 1.79 million jobs in adult social care, of which 165,000 were vacant, a 52% increase on the previous year. ‘last year.
He said the number of vacancies filled had fallen by 50,000 from the previous year – the first drop ever recorded.
These figures included both nursing home staff and workers who support people in their homes.
Source d’images, Stuart Ratcliffe / BBCAmong Ms Purnell’s staff is carer Nicole Greenaway.
The 24-year-old from Crick says she wanted to work in the industry after caring for a family.
Since starting her role two years ago, she has enjoyed the satisfaction of helping people with their daily needs.
“You are their extra member and you are only there for conversation, chat, household chores, etc.
“I would say we probably need more recognition from the government because we are doing an incredible job as it is, but it is work that I value more than anything,” she says. .
“People don’t understand how difficult it is”
Source d’images, Nikki Fox / BBCEmi Iancu, from Ipswich, started working in a care home in 2019 and says at first it was a “pleasure to go to work”.
But the 31-year-old says after the pandemic and Brexit it started to be ‘more difficult’ and he was effectively doing ‘two jobs in one night’.
Married with one child, Mr Iancu says he quit his carer job in December to work at Felixstowe Docks as a tugboat where he now earns an extra £13,000.
Source d’images, Nikki Fox / BBC“Working with the residents was very enriching, very pleasant, but sometimes I had hot cups of tea spilled on me, I was hit and slapped.
“People don’t understand how difficult it is.”
Mr Iancu said other staff crumbled as they struggled to cope with the workload and he was often a shoulder they could cry on.
Source d’images, Nikki Fox / BBCMr Iancu says his new job at the port gives him the opportunity to save money and support his wife Laura and their two-year-old daughter Ayla.
He says wages for care work are “ridiculous” and pay needs to be increased to attract and retain people.
Although he has left the industry, he says he may one day return to work as a caregiver.
“It all depends on what happens in the future,” he added.
“People are leaving in droves”
Source d’images, Nikki Fox / BBCFor Tina Judd, she found that working as a community caregiver took too much of a toll on her physical and mental health.
But the 55-year-old from Henley, near Ipswich, remains in the care sector.
She became a caregiver because she lost her mother five years ago and loved taking care of her.
After 18 months in the role, however, the “very busy, very long and unsociable hours” took their toll.
She says “hidden issues” have added to the pressure, including traffic jams, roadworks and diversions between calls.
Source d’images, Family photoMs Judd decided ‘enough was enough’ when she was ‘too exhausted and broken’ to enjoy her free time.
She decided to take a job in sheltered accommodation instead which she describes as “absolutely wonderful”.
Ms Judd says she is also better off financially.
“The amount of money people get for care is terrible, especially with the amount of responsibility they have … all the rush.
“In some places they literally offer minimum wage to work there, it’s no wonder people are leaving the industry in droves,” she says.
Ms Judd says it was a “very difficult” decision to leave community care because clients “are part of your family and you are part of their family”.
But she says, “Life is too short not to make the most of every day you have. »
“Biggest Funding Increase”
The government says social care was prioritized in the autumn statement, making available up to £7.5billion over the next two years to support social care and adult discharge.
This is the “largest funding increase in history” and would allow more people to access “high-quality care and help address challenges including waiting lists, low fee rates and labor pressures”.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care adds: “We are promoting careers in care by launching our annual national recruitment campaign and investing £15million to increase international recruitment of carers. »
Related Topics
- To social protection
- Ipswich
- Nursing homes
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Related Internet Links
www.bbc.co.uk
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