To expect the UK's 1 million unemployed to get a job as a Care Worker?

[SquireOfGreenway]

The number of people unemployed in the UK is just over 1 million - the lowest it's been since the early 1970s. However, we should still surely expect that figure to be even lower.

From next year, it may be much harder for care-providing organisations to recruit European migrants to fill their Care Worker vacancies.

Surely, it is reasonable to expect any UK resident who is unemployed, claiming job-seekers allowance and so far unable to get a job to be required to get a job as a Care Worker? If they don't then they should be sanctioned and lose their state benefits.

I am not just talking about Care Work. I am talking about all minimum-wage and minimum-wage plus jobs that we have been relying on European migrants to fill.

Why not? There will always be maybe a few 100,000s unemployed, as people move from one job to another, etc. But why should there be a million unemployed people if there is a shortage of workers in any industry that does not require any great level of pre-entry qualifications?

Suitability

My dad is in a care home with vascular dementia. I want people caring for him that want to, not just want money. Maybe when you are in that situation you might feel that way too.

Have you read about the cases of abuse in care homes where people with absolutely no interest in caring and not a lot of intelligence have taken advantage of residents? YABU

Excellent squire. You will be entrusting the care of your own nearest and dearest vulnerable people to this army of resentful conscripts of course? No, that's what I thought.

Yabu. Care needs to be regulated more and forcing anyone to work in it wont work.

Surely, it is reasonable to expect any UK resident who is unemployed, claiming job-seekers allowance and so far unable to get a job to be required to get a job as a Care Worker?

And if they’re fundamentally ill-suited to care work?

It’s already a devalued role and your idea would devalue it further. Anyone who has ever had a relative require care or required it themselves knows how important it is to have the right people for the job who are trained well and want to be there.

Some people would be entirely unsuitable. Surely you can see that! e.g. people who lack patience and empathy, people with certain disabilities, people who can't be trusted to be honest. The list could be endless.

So, you think just anyone has the qualities to be a care worker? And you’d be happy for your elderly, vulnerable relative to be looked after by any random person the job centre sends into their bedroom?

A lot of care work requires the ability to drive. A lot of unemployed people don't have the money to learn to drive, or to buy and run a car.

Would you want to be cared for by someone who is forced into the career? They are hardly going to actually want to do the job properly. Will all of those people get a dbs?

I can’t think of anything worse than having relatives looked after people who have been forced into that job! Also not sure how I feel about people losing benefits completely when they have kids etc. Sounds a bit Dickensian.

As a higher rate tax payer, I take immense pride in us being a country that tries to look after one another when we are down.

Agree entirely with @Foslady

Swap this round, imagine being someone who required the use of care services, would you want to be looked after by someone that was being forced into the job? I know I bloody wouldn't!

If I needed to find a care worker for someone I loved I want someone trained to k ow what to do.

There are a lot of unemployed people who can't get a job be uase they don't have any skills or education.

You can't just let people wander in and start looking after people.

Also, the money it would take to train them, where will that come from?

Have you ever been unemployed OP?

Don’t be so silly and simplistic. YABU and naive.

There are already to many unsuitable people working in care. We shouldn’t add to it.

These are amongst our most vulnerable people in society and you want to entrust their care to people who don’t care they are just there because they are forced into the role?

Sorry, why do the most vulnerable amongst us have to be cared for by what are essentially the unemployable? That is a revolting suggestion.

Why are you putting so little value on care work? Do you actually hate the sick or elderly?

Care work especially needs paying better to attract more applicants, it’s a tough job that needs great skill, kindness and time management. I find your suggestion disrespectful to care workers!

As PP have said, care work requires a level of suitability; you can’t just bung anyone in it that will do half a job because there are vulnerable people at risk.

Also, care work is underpaid and undervalued already and care workers are massively exploited by their employers (shit “split” shifts, expecting them to use own cars etc. It’s only recently that they got paid for travel time between appointments!) if you had it so that people were forced into working then the care companies would just exploit their workers even more.

Where do you live Squire? Would you be cared for by unemployable slave labour?

I manage a care home, if I was forced to take on just anybody I would be extremely concerned ( in fact I just wouldn't do it!)
Care work is already under valued and your suggestion just goes to under value it more.

surely it requires a high level of empathy, people skills & tolerance.
Plus being physically fit, mentally well and a high degree of personal hygiene.

I'm not unemployed, but I'd probably be a really bad care worker.
(lack of patience and tolerance levels, in case you're wondering!)

I can’t think of anything worse than having relatives looked after people who have been forced into that job!

Not even sure why I’m bothered to reply but agree with this. Have you not seen all those awful cases where carers abuse vulnerable people? The care profession is something to be taken seriously, it involves a lot of training and needs genuine caring people. In other countries like Australia you need far more qualifications to work in care.