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?

I think the Tories are coming on here to see how their prospective policies sound to the masses. They then go back to the drawing board and realise they can't do this or that because of the numerous issues highlighted by the folks at Mumsnet within 8 mins of the thread going up. Some of these have been brewing for years, guys, and you just come along and squash them with no compassion!

Hey, why didn't MNHQ warn us Iain Duncan Smith was stopping by?

Oh look, another sly benefit bashing thread starter.

No one would ever seriously suggest this

There is a recruitment crises in care. So why are employers restructuring and downgrading jobs and pay grades? Why are support workers being asked to do what nurses and seniors used to do and seniors being asked to do what managers used to do?

When there is more work available than managers know what to do with why are people who want full time work being offered zero hours and low hours contracts (extremely common) - but while being on a 20 hour contract you are expected to be available for all shifts as suits the employer. An arbitrary or rolling rota ensures you never have regular days off to supplement with another regular job. I have colleagues who can't afford to take a weeks holiday because they will be paid for their 20 hour contract when they usually work 40plus hours. They have to take their annual leave in single days and work the other days to afford to take it. Yes I know there was supposed to be a law that holiday pay is based on what you have actually worked - that is not happening! God forbid they are off sick (and are lucky enough to get contractual sick pay) it won't be enough for them to live on as they are used to working far more than their contract.

Care workers are expected to use their own car despite being on a low hours/low wage contract. There is no car allowance and employers are cutting mileage payments where they can.

I think the route of it is sexism to be honest. In a largely female profession = low wages/low hours/no car allowance even when a car is essential. The only other sector I can think of that is treated so badly is self employed delivery drivers and maybe retail and hospitality with the poorer employers.

Improve the terms and conditions of care workers with regular hours and pay that amounts to a living wage and a car allowance/decent mileage when a car is essential and only then (for people that have the basic qualities, skills and health required to work in care) might you begin to have a point.

I can see your point, but it wouldn't work. Abuse would be even worse than it already is.

What a daft idea. Caring roles are not suitable for everyone.

I don’t think YABU but also not entirely NBU.

Currently the only suitability consideration is whether someone is prepared to do the job at the pay and work conditions offered, and that’s why most carers are migrants. It’s right that we have to stop the reliance on cheap labour because that ends up more expensive for all of us, but we cannot do that by forcing people to do jobs, the jobs need to be more attractive.

YANBU Who wouldn't want my old unemployed neighbour caring for their vulnerable granny. He's illiterate, so may get her meds a mixed up, and he has a criminal record for drug and violence offences as long as your arm, but I'm sure that deep down inside he's caring and reliable. Very, very deep down inside.

RositaEspinosa yup.

What an absolute joke! 1- care work should be for ppl who I don’t know.... care. 2 - would you do such a manual and emotionally draining job for minimum wage. 3 - that figure is a load of shite, what about all the people on 0 hour contracts, or employed for 3 hours a week.

YABU.
My mum works in a care home, caring for people with acquired brain injury. She has worked in numerous other specialisms over the last 30 years from medical wards, to critical care and renal. She, and many like her are bloody good at their jobs and skilled in what they do. They have taken numerous extra courses to extend their skills.

It's not something any Tom, Dick or Harry can just rock up and do.

My mum's place struggle for staff because it's not a job anyone can do. It takes a special person. It would be unfair on those who need care to employ people who don't want to do the job, they deserve to be cared for by people who genuinely want to be there.

I hope this isn't a genuine thread.

I've worked in care homes and have done homecare. The worst part of it is other Staff who don't give a shit. You've got to live with seeing people neglected and sometimes abused and there's nothing you can do.

I saw some terrible accidents happen to very vulnerable people because equipment was stored in bathrooms and they had a fall. One lady in her 80's had to have her head shaved were they stapled it. Nothing was done. I left.

From a practical pov, the shifts are 12 hours, it's night staff that we are short of, a lot of people with children would struggle with 7pm-7am shifts.

As said, you need committed people, good communicators etc.

But then we have the issue that people can't pay their rent on min wage and that is no longer topped up adequately.

fucking hell ive never seen a post that makes less sense.
the care sector needs more thought.more rigorous pickings not less.

Minimum wage doesnt mean hiring someone who doesn't give shit and is only in the job because the job centre sent them. And I dont just mean care work, plenty of jobs are minimum wage from retail to factories to hospitality and there are thousands upon thousands of dedicated hard working people in those jobs and they deserve more than being lumped with someone whos been forced to work witg them.

Have you not read Patel’s shiny new UK points based immigration plan?

The Royal College of Nursing raised concerns the proposals will "not meet the health and care needs of the population", while Unison assistant general secretary Christina McAnea said the plans "spell absolute disaster for the care sector".

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.

Is that you Priti?

Definitely not care work! It’s not for everyone. But I do think everyone should be in work which matches their suitability and circumstance - flexibility and understanding seems to be what is missing from our workforces, if places were able to be more flexible then more people would be in work. On the other side of that there is a huge issue with work ethics in then UK, but maybe this needs to start with the government making things easier for businesses to be accommodating.

I don’t think forcing everyone into care roles is the answer.

. 2 - would you do such a manual and emotionally draining job for minimum wage

What do you think people who are doing it now are paid?

All the above re. Care Work. @CareToCare - hear hear.

If you are talking about ‘make unemployed people take underpaid, shit-contract jobs rather than get benefits’ I believe to get Jobseekers you have to show you are applying for jobs, and as a society we think it’s a rubbish idea to force overqualified or unsuitable people to take work that wastes their skills and education.

Not care work. That needs to be more regulated, and better paid. Factory work, hospitality, and farm work though, yes 100%.

Do you want care work carried out by people who don't want to do it and have been forced into it by threat of destitution? Do you think that would lead to good care? If you need care, who do you want to provide it- people with no liking for the job who are only there through fear? Would you feel safe?

What about what these unemployed people want? A lot of them won't be unemployed out of choice. When I left uni, it took me ages to get a job because all suitable employers told me I didn't have enough experience. I couldn't get the experience without a job. It was a catch 22 situation. So no, unemployed people should not be forced into jobs they do not want to do by the government. It is not fair to them and definitely not fair to the people they would be caring for. Care working should be a vocation, not just a way of paying the bills. YABU.

would you do such a manual and emotionally draining job for minimum wage

Flabbergasted at comments like this though. This is exactly the attitude that brings about the benefits bashing.