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?

Yabu. And apparently have no empathy.
A). I don't want my elderly and vulnerable grandmother being looked after by somebody who has been forced to do it.
B). Some people are better off on benefits and simply can't work around their children's childcare to work these gruelling shift patterns
C). Why should a skilled worker who is finding it hard to get a job in their field have to take a job they don't want and aren't trained in.
D). The checks on Care workers qualifications is already appalling. How is this fair to those that do have training and years of experience?
There are many, many more reasons why this is a bad idea please do some research on the health and social care field and god forbid you ever require care or find yourself looking for work and have to deal with the job centre.

What a knee jerk response made without any thought.

The caring profession should be much better recognised and valued. It is an immensly important and incredibly difficult role.

Not a job to be done by conscripts FFS!

People who are care workers and don't want to care for people are horrendous at their job. I understand your point but it takes a special person to be a good carer.

Such a ridiculous suggestion.

I have a disabled daughter. We don’t have any care workers at the moment but when we do, I certainly don’t want just anyone to care for her!

As a GP, I've been extremely concerned about the education levels of carers given that they do the role of HCAs within a hospital. For example many of them are set with a task to give medication and/or monitor compliance. I've met one who was functionally illiterate in English but was expected to do this. There is no way either district nurses or HCAs (both of whom have qualifications) could fulfil the role of a carer in the community so they could be present to oversee medication too.

I think professional carers need more training and supervision so this idea is completely rejected by me.

You cannot push people into working with the most vulnerable people in society. What a ludicrous idea.

You're not only totally unreasonable but that kind of ignorance really makes me angry.

Caring is a difficult, challenging job and it takes a very special set of skills to be good at it. This idea that just anyone can do it seriously undermines the value of good care workers and any type of policy like this will erode wages and conditions even further. What we need is more stringent recruitment in care, and much higher salaries to attract and reward the right people. I'd go so far as to say that we are currently abusing care workers (and indirectly those who are cared for) in this country - zero hours contracts, minimal conditions, poor management, guilt tripping, lone working, vulnerable to difficult people and their families, unsocial hours...It's a long list!

Full unemployment causes hyperinflation and general economic catastrophe. Basic knowledge of any history/economics would tell you this.
Also “national service” for looking after vulnerable people is a stupid idea. HTH.

Have ever had to entrust someone you love into the care of others? Someone fragile and vulnerable and scared?

You have made me so angry OP with your lack of understanding or empathy, for either those needing care or those who actually do the job

A job in Care work is not a job that just anyone can do. I have always worked but I don't think I would have the mindset to be a Carer. It is a hard and very undervalued job.

Personally, I think we need far less of this kind of thing, not more:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-51126919

YABU and I struggle to believe you actually think your idea is a good one!

Why would caring for some of society’s most vulnerable be something that is done by those that may be fundamentally unsuitable for the role.

Caring for people and doing it well is actually a really tough job and it takes someone special to do it.

Sigh. This is ridiculous. And I would describe myself as centre-right!

Some of those unemployed have their own caring responsibilities (children, disabled, elderly family) which mean they can't do shift work or hours required.

Some can't drive, or afford a car, and there is no public transport to the places where the work is.

Jobs are not necessarily in the places where the people are. Moving to the South East from parts of Wales or the North East for a job is very difficult given the state of our housing market even if you are a well paid professional.

They answer is that employers are going to have to change their recruiting practices. By offering school time work, by offering accomodation support. Government needs to look at the housing market to enable mobility.

Maybe more elderly people should move to the areas where there are carers available.

It really would be great if life was so simple!

Suitability , absolutely.

I think it's wrong that care work is treated as low/no skill work at a minimal salary - that's what leads to the terrible cases of abuse you hear of. I don't mean that the poor conditions justify the abusers - I mean that the recruiters will struggle to find decent workers. In my opinion care work needs to be completely rethought as a highly skilled job with an appropriate salary, so that there's a wide pool of people keen to do it.

What a marvellous idea! All these unemployed must just be dosers and should be made to be a carer!
Fact that im very much disabled and unable to lift much shouldn’t stop things!
If i’m out of work this is ideal, everyone should do it!
How do you seriously think this a good idea?
Would you want to be in a home cared by people who are only doing it for the money?
You need physical strength, empathy and PATIENCE.
There’s enough abuse in homes without this ridiculous and idea.

No way should people be placed in care jobs when they have no interest in it. It is a hard job sometimes and you need a set of skills so do it. In Scotland you need to register with the SSSC and work towards your SVQ 3. Not sure if England have a similar system in place.

Suitability is the issue. A clear enhanced DBS check for a start, the ability to be able to do shift work, good patience, empathy, strong literacy skills, and a want to do the job.

You cant teach empathy and a caring attitude. Care work is tough - believe me we don’t do it for the money!

@SquireOfGreenway - fabulously suitable name btw.

You’ve clearly never even known someone who would require the support of a care worker or ever had to provide that care yourself.

How about learning to recognise when to keep your ideas to yourself when you have no idea what you’re talking about? It’ll have the pleasant side effect of significantly less people thinking you’re a twat.

this is scaring me to the chore. DD has complex needs and will need life long 24/7 care. The system is at its knees already. I. very worried.

Two years when I was unemployed I applied at two different care at home companies. With an MA, languages as many years in the online travel industry I was very much overqualified. I didn't get either job. So I don't think they'd take anyone.

A lot of carers work alone in peoples homes, if you had a vulnerable relative needing care would you allow someone into their home who disliked the job, wasn’t a particularly caring person and who had minimal training?

If yes, you are a part of the reason that caring is hugely undervalued and you’re part of the reason that vulnerable are abused.

I'd rather that the care industry and other industries gave proper contracts to its existing workforce rather than using 0 hour contracts. The 1 million unemployed aren't the ones queuing at foodbanks.

Am hoping that a lack of cheap, foreign unskilled labour drives up standards from employers, not that the 1 million unemployed start work.

And the care industry needs a massive overhaul and more skilled, qualified people working in it, not dragging someone who doesn't want to work into it. My dsis works in care. She wants to leave, not because she doesn't like the job but because she is broken by the lack of care actually displayed by so called carers. Not foreign carers, English carers caring for English people. She has reported and reported and reported to line managers, senior managers, CQC and nothing changes and she says it's getting worse not better.

So yeah. Also care work is antisocial hours, so if you don't drive or live somewhere with good transport it's not feasible. And it's physically demanding so if you have a physical issue it's not feasible. A d if you have care responsibilities at home it's nit feasible. And if you are on benefits and are having your rent and council tax paid, swapping to a 0 hours contract is absolutely mad.

Priti is that you ?