To wonder why I’m working for £9.20 an hour

[Dragula333]

Care work, it’s chronically poorly paid but I know there are still care companies paying £10/11 an hour.

I have a degree and a Master’s, not that it makes me any better but I just feel I should and could be on a higher wage. It’s an important and very rewarding job, and I do like it but I’m starting to feel like a fool.

So many places pay better, Aldi, Amazon etc.
Would you accept this wage ?

Care homes are essentially businesses, run for profit. I went for an interview at one, looked up the company and the owner was reported as living in an 8 million pound house 10 years ago. Low wages have paid for that.

@Dancerinthedark01

*Stickyblue1987 what qualifications do you need to be a teacher or teaching assistant in special needs schools?

I want to do this and have similar qualifications to OP - but was under the impression that you needed to do a specialist training course. Is that true?*

To teach you would need a teaching degree (although some academy schools don't require this). The op says education degree but not sure if this equates to QTS? When I did my teacher training I specialised in SEN in my last year. I would not have needed additional training to work in special schools.

For TA jobs there's no specified qualifications, though experience in working with children would usually be needed.

Nope.

HTH.

@goose1964

Carers are totally underpaid, unfortunately a lot of owners see homes as a way to print money, look at the high spec cars they drive , where they holiday. My daughter works in care and when I saw her with my mother in law , dementia and limited mobility, I was so impressed how she managed to help her without her noticing she was being helped. She gets paid more than minimum wage, not by much, and she's starting her level 3 NVQ to work as a,senior carer.

Agree..it is absolutely shocking..care workers are lining someone’s bank account and the residents are cash cows …I feel so strongly about this ! Am a RN working in what was a lovely care home but has now been reduced to a grovel. The residents are being neglected and the carers are treated like trash !

You can apply with the NHS bank OP. Are you able to do nights and weekends? They pay a lot better.

@julieca It was just an example of the type of jobs where the pay is decent and it doesn't require going back to uni to retrain. OP could transfer to retail, starting as an assistant and working her way up to management. I know of several people who have switched from care work to retail and the pay is generally better. Of course retail might not interest the OP but was just a thought.

Glad I’m not going uni after reading this

@Porcupineintherough

No I dont think I would, that's horrifically bad. Do you happen to know what your clients pay per hour? We pay £19/hr to the agency for my dad, I'd hope to God the carer sees a good chunk of that.

They won't see the majority, sorry to say.

I've just canceled my home 'care package' because my underpaid, badly treated, 'carers' are passing on what's done to them, to me, and I'm just being taken advantage off by exploited people and expected to be complicit in the whole charade.

When I canceled no one asked why or any questions, and there was no surprise. (It was treated like canceling a milk delivery.)

The lack of language is a real issue, but there's no (apparent) desire to change it.

The main activity and what takes by far the longest time, is sitting and writing about what they've supposedly just done to assist. Most of it makes little sense, but things like 'help with wash', 'breakfast', and 'dinner', appear daily, but none of it's happened ever, and attempts to get those things actually happening didn't go well.

The call is for an hour, (twice a day) Generally they're in and out in between minimum 7 and max 20 mins. No one's ever stayed 30 mins.

I feel really sorry for them, because they're clearly exploited, but I'm also being exploited and my quality of life has gone down, not been maintained, or gone up.

I feel I now understand why everyone want's to only talk to NOK about arrangements and not the person on the receiving end, even if they're being billed.

Dragula yes it's underpaid and under valued work. The people doing it are underpaid and undervalued, as are the people on the receiving end of it.
I may be wrong but I think while care recipients have no value other than as cash cows, it's unlikely those brought in to provide services to them, will have any either.

Depends if it brings you satisfaction, enjoyment and it’s affordable for you to live on?

I gave up a better paid, but demanding career to do a less well paid, but less demanding job. I love it! Although I’ve only being doing it a few months, so I can’t guarantee it’ll be forever. Luckily we can afford the reduction of income and it’s making home life better

Yes of course, I never insinuated that it was abnormal , just that I am capable of earning more

The whole think comes across a bit badly to me OP and that you think you're far above the millions of people on minimum/low wage jobs etc.

If you are then get another job suited to your lofty superior status. As you're worth so much more than millions of others it should be easy.

@Elleherd Try and get the direct payments if you haven't already, and/or employ an individual. Then advertise locally for a self-employed carer. They will have the time to do the actual hours- and will have to or they'll lose their own income as you could get someone else.

There are plenty of self-employed carers (I've been one) who will value the work and be able to take more time/effort over it.