I also feel that we don't even have a true picture of refusal Vs not vaccinated.
It's mainly an issue in London. 1 in 5 care staff in London have refused it. That's a significant proportion. When it's a lower number (most of the rest of the country) it won't be quite such a risk to the vulnerable residents, but I hope you can see how unsafe it could be for vulnerable residents in London?
Yes, a high proportion of unvaccinated workers would be unsafe. But I think we need to be sure of why they're unvaccinated, is there a breakdown of that? Or is it just being assumed that the 1 in 5 are refusing, on anecdotal evidence? There are other reasons why people haven't got the vaccine when it was offered than they're refusing because they're an anti vaxxer. The assumption seems to be that any care worker that isn't vaccinated is in the wrong job, end of story. I could only just have my 1st vaccine by a matter of days because you can't have it if you're within 4 weeks of a positive covid test. How many are being recorded as unvaccinated, assumed as refused, but actually couldn't have it when offered and waiting for that time to elapse and then for an appointment?
I also know of people that are cev or in the age range being called being left off lists - not beyond the realms of possibility that's happened too for care workers, I got done at work, however I know other workers who have been called to centres for theirs, the system is not infallible, I don't expect it to be, but mistakes can be made.
At such an early stage I really don't think it's right to be looking at legislation until those things have been ironed out and we know that those in care who aren't vaccinated have actually refused. Then we need to work with those people, not against them, I don't necessarily agree with 'incentives' tbh, I think it'll just cost money, because if people really don't want it, money shouldn't make a difference, but paying people for their time would be a start.
If I'm on my days off, I have to go in for my weekly PCR, between certain times, I have never been paid for that time. It's two hours out of a day where I can't really do anything else, because I have to go and do that, and that's been happening since testing started. I didn't get paid for attending for the vaccines either, I'm lucky, I don't have young kids or other responsibilities, many do and it costs them to go, as well as travel expenses.
When it's my only day off, yes, I resent that, I'm tired, I've been working my backside off to make sure other colleagues are covered when they're off SI or ill, yet I have to arrange my whole day around it.
It sometimes feels like it's taken over my whole life, and if I am anything other than Skippy happy jolly 'of course I should do this willingly' I'm told I'm not caring enough and in the wrong job - a minimum wage job.
All those factors need consideration first, as well as already mentioned about getting the basics of care right from care providers, and bodies like the cqc actually having teeth and using them when things aren't right.
We also need to look at a structured and properly planned vaccination program, of more than just covid, and make it industry standard. That includes more education around this subject for care workers, detailing the issues faced and how vaccination will improve them, not just "Well you'll do it or else, and you'll do it now"
As you pointed out, we do a hard job, under difficult conditions for very little in return, and now I can see this making it harder. It doesn't matter how much I believe in vaccination, if I get to the point where I'm burned out because we lose 1/5th of the staff in care, I'm not going to stay under the terms I currently am.