Hourly rate for this role

[WTFMywork]

What hourly rate would you pay/work for re this role?

dedicated personal care assistant

MND disgnosis. full capacity at present. 24 hour care package as quite advanced.

bed bound. Speech issues. CFS, kidney stones, mandibular pain (so feeding issues) and chronic pain 24/7.

multiple pets to look after.

48 hour weekend work (2 x 24hour shift). So will have to be spilt with another carer. So handover time etc.

requires personal care, help around the house, assistance with food/drinks, medication, moral support, prepping and cooking, help with pets, assisting with online shopping and independence.

Must be flexible and must be able to cover others. 18 + female due to intimatecare. Assistance re smoking and vaping. Experience essential. DBS check rmandatory.

is this NMW or does it justify a higher hourly rate? The role has been unfulfilled for 5 months now. Only just seen it and I do think NMW is low for the expectations. I’d appreciate some perspective before I apply/raise it with the proposed employer. Or if I’m being unreasonable please say so!

many thanks

It’s a NMW care job. I wouldn’t provide assistance smoking though, passive smoking is dangerous for the carer.

It's the smoking aspect that will be putting applicants off.

Yes it’s a nmw job, as most care roles are. I don’t agree with how dreadful the pay is in health and social care though and think it should be better.

If NMW can you negotiate other extras such as meals provided as your doing such long shifts?

Also clothing allowance (not so much a uniform but allowance for polo t shirts, leggings and a coverall as you'll be using cleaning products, personal care etc.

I'd also clarify what help with smoking means.

If they smoke in the house I would imagine that's the reason for lack of interest. You have to remember it's illegal to smoke in public indoor spaces and that includes workplace. So that's why I imagine they have no agency carers going in.

It is a NMW job.

I'm surprised a job can advertise that the role is to support someone with smoking. Surely as the carer you'd be around second hand smoke? Not sure that would be legal surely

Good points to raise extras given the potential intensive caring issues/extended hours. And the smoking/vaping is a concern to on nMW. Thank you.

NMW sadly. I used to care for someone in my last job like this - with long shifts like this, you have to be able to get on with them. Between the emptying of cat litter trays and smoking, I didn't last long. And bed bound patients can be challenging if you're the sole carer when it comes to handling.

It’s a hugely responsible role for NMW.

If you are looking for this type of work look at SNAP care. I would expect this role to pay £17 ph

Thank you. I will look.

• I'd always thought someone requiring 24hr care, needed 3x shifts a day. A 24hr shift seems bonkers to me, especially if you can't sleep, need to turn them etc. Are there additional carers that come 4x a day to assist you in turning/hoisting them?
• I would be concerned with current eating issues and what happens when it declines? Would you be expected suction when they can no longer swallow saliva? Would you be expected to/are you trained in administering peg feeds?
• Who is administering medications if there are chronic pain issues? Do they have a registered nurse giving controlled drugs?
• Multiple pets!!! IMO, this shouldn't also be the responsibility of the human carer, who is already caring for the human! They should have a dog walker, pet carer or someone else doing whatever pet care is required.
• What exactly is assistance with smoking and vaping? I just hope the person isn't on home oxygen, or using it in the future 😬

Assuming this isn't a reverse and its not YOU looking for a carer, I'd walk away and look elsewhere.

Not a reverse at all. I’ve already considered some of these points but you raise some other valid ones too. It’s 6 pets. I think it’s an awful lot to expect so I’m going to keep looking v
for a more suitable role.

It’s 6 pets. I think it’s an awful lot to expect so I’m going to keep looking v
for a more suitable role.
The pets alone might be a reason the role hasn't been filled in 5mths. Let alone the smoking and other concerns.

Unless it was 6 goldfish that needed a sprinkle of feed, I would be expecting much more than NMW to ALSO be caring for pets, in addition to the human! Also, should a human carer be expected to know about pet care and their needs also? What if a pet needed emergency or even just standard vet care? As the human carer, do you take the pet in your own car to the vet and leave your client alone???

I'm sure you can find a better caring role OP, where you aren't actually caring for 7 living beings instead of just 1! x

I can see why the role hasn't been fulfilled. It's a lot for NMW. Sadly care jobs often ask for the world for NMW (or less when you take into account expectations). If you want a job where you're fairly compensated for your efforts, run a thousand miles from care work

Gosh. Can't believe someone would only get NMW for all that. Why would they choose to do that. Literally anything else would be so much easier.

NMW but overnight should be paid at a higher rate than day.
The multiple pets and smoking will put most people off