Carers should be paid more money

[Vivana]

For what we do and what we have to deal with specially covid. Minimum wage is all I am on and have to run about for 12 hours with hardly no break.
I love the job and I'm lucky to have one but when dealing with residents who have covid it's so much more work and putting our health at risk. Wearing ppe all day is a nightmare including face visors. We also have to come on our days off for weekly covid testing as it's cumpolsary and now have to learn lateral Flow testing to residents can see there family's.
We should be paid much more than minimum wage. I probably am being unreasonable but I don't feel I am. The job is very rewarding but can be very sad and stressful to.

The reason why a lot of people don't get more qualifications is that the pay is so terrible they end up working 4 or 5, 12 hour shifts a week.
Usually on a rota they have no say over.

So it's really hard to study around that and to fit days at college in.

And most of the time, the managers don't care that It's a constant revolving door of people, as long as the work is done. People usually don't last long because the long hours, poor pay and poor working conditions.

I am a foster parent, I am not allowed to foster and work out the home as I foster babies in the main. For my last little baby I was paid 22p an hour for my skills.

@WankPuffins That is bad we never have spot checks at night. The head of the department trusts us.

We have housekeepers in the day, they help with serving at mealtimes, cleaning residents rooms as well as putting residents washing away.

*The reason why a lot of people don't get more qualifications is that the pay is so terrible they end up working 4 or 5, 12 hour shifts a week.
Usually on a rota they have no say over.

So it's really hard to study around that and to fit days at college in.*

This is in reference to entry qualifications and a standardised training route into care (see multiple posts on thread about the same). Not "on the job" training that can be done currently - but an entry requirement that standardises the skills and competencies required for the role therefore making those who complete this initial training more committed and qualified for the role. Hence less staff turnover etc...

It's in relation to an argument about "in an ideal world" this would be the case ...

Ah, okay I get you now.

Yes, it would be good. Although, in my experience of years of working in different settings, not many people set out for a career in care. It's something that young people do for a little while, or mothers returning to work and wanting to do a couple of nightshifts a week do, or to be honest, it's something a lot of people do when they feel they don't have much else choice.

And I don't meant that in some awful way - I work in care myself remember and have done for a long time, but it's not an easy or rewarding job most of the time.

And also, with the best training and the best intentions in the world, some people just can't cope when on the job doing personal care.

That's the reason most of the staff I've worked with left. They couldn't stand doing it.

@WankPuffins

And also, with the best training and the best intentions in the world, some people just can't cope when on the job doing personal care.

That's the reason most of the staff I've worked with left. They couldn't stand doing it.

I guess the training route would need to include some hands on stuff like this, then maybe? So they know exactly what they're letting themselves in for whilst also building the practical skill set required. Much like nursing I suppose. But quite where the funding would come from, who knows?

have done for a long time, but it's not an easy or rewarding job most of the time.

Well, no. I've worked closely with enough carers over recent years to see that.

@WankPuffins

And also, with the best training and the best intentions in the world, some people just can't cope when on the job doing personal care.

That's the reason most of the staff I've worked with left. They couldn't stand doing it.

I agree I don’t think it’s just lack of training. It’s a practical job like being a Dr... or a nurse. You need to have a certain character to be suitable for the job and to do it properly. Some things will never change like the patient to staff ration that’s what really needs to be changed. Care work is busy and understaffed by far.

Student nurses often leave too mid way through training or after qualifying because again it’s hard work.

There are two aspects to how hard it is:

1. physical, messy, smells, always on the go, workload not under your control, lifting
2. emotional - if you are an empathetic caring person(I’ve yet to meet a carer who isn’t) the process of providing care to people in pain or distress is very distressing. You desperately want to get it right but competing demands on time and just the sheer complexity of people’s needs makes this really difficult

For those foster carers and unpaid carers - yes also undervalued but doesn’t mean employed carers are lucky. You’re all undervalued

@vivana mentions the self employed micro service provider scheme. I heard about this and the staff were happier, better off, and providing better service. The one I heard was for nursing care at home. By being a group of friends, managing their own rotas, they could cover for one another so their customers didn't get strangers. They worked out the order of visits and the route to make the best sensible use of time. They allowed themselves a little leeway so if someone needed extra time, or there was traffic, it wasn't a disaster. They were delighted with the job satisfaction, even more than the financial improvement. They could make their own decisions because they were their own bosses

I love the job and the residents I care for. Just sitting down with them having a chat lifts there spirits up. But sadly as there only a few carers on my shift I don't always get the time to do so as it's always go go go. The rare times I have some spare times I will sit down and have a lovely talk to them. They have great stories of what they use to do when they were younger etc. I could listen to them for hours. But truth is its a chat with them while providing personal care and then onto the next resident. It makes me sad as many say to me when will I come and see them again and I say soon as I can I will come and see you.

Vivana you sound lovely. If not for Covid, would it work for volunteers to visit to chat?