To think people look down on care assistants

[Fjdowkrialkakvk]

And many other low paid jobs in general.
I went to university but I work predominantly as a HCA. I also work one day a week in a 'professional' role related to my degree.
Fortunately I am a relatively well-paid care assistant, earning £2 an hour more than the minimum wage. Many care homes or companies pay the bare minimum wage. I also get time and a half on all bank holidays which not everyone does.

Part of my role involves community care. I've had a client's daughter tell me she was 'surprised' i was in this role as I seemed intelligent and like I had more to offer.
I just take comments like that as tone deaf. I've also had some families of clients who clearly look down at you even though you're assisting their family member to live.
Just earlier I was at a lady's home and her granddaughter was there staying for a couple of days. She asked me to go and do her Grandma's washing up.
The Granddaughter could have bloody done it herself, it's just laziness and probably thinking they're too good to do it themselves.

It's considered a low skill role, and there's a common misconception that high pay must always mean high responsibility and vice versa.

I am physically and verbally assaulted by dementia residents, deal with medication and care equipment, I believe care assistants have a lot of responsibility. Luckily we have many appreciative residents and families.

Has anybody ever felt that such work is looked down upon or considered lowly?

Yes they absolutely do in my experience, I work as an HCA in primary care. I'm expected to do blood tests, health checks, dressings, removal of sutures/staples, ecgs, flu vaccines, B12 injections and the list goes on . . I regularly have inappropriate patients booked into my clinic, and often when I explain to the nurse that I'm not trained or qualified to do that, I get the 'oh go on it's easy, it's only x,y,z . .' I looked up my pay the other day and realised that they're paying me a band 2 . . I'd earn more working in a supermarket with far less responsibility and aggravation.

Then on the other side of the coin, constant micro aggressions about being 'just an HCA', I'm regularly spoken over or ignored. I attended an MDT meeting the other day just to mention a patient with a possible uti, where I was constantly spoken over and contradicted. I said something about the volume of blood needed for a particular blood test the other day, the gp did a sympathetic head tilt 'oh wow I'm surprised you would know that'. I attended a B12 study day a while back, and the whole thing was incredibly patronising towards HCA's, bearing in mind we are encouraged to learn these skills and don't get any extra pay for them. One HCA on the course said something about the lungs and gas exchange in response to a question, que the course leaders sympathetic head tilt 'oh wow how did you know that? Are you going to night school or something?' Ahh yes, of course, we're all thick and uneducated, none of us have so much as two GCSEs to rub together.

Needless to say I've had enough of being run ragged each day, paid appallingly, seeing more face to face patients than anyone else there and on top of that being spoken too like I'm not in possession of a brain. The only thing that makes it bearable is the patients who are almost all unfailingly pleasant and grateful for the care they receive. Leaving soon to go to university, I'm lucky that I can do that, I feel for the HCA's out there who are amazing but looked down upon, and either can't leave or don't want too because they love their jobs, love their patients and are far braver than me.

@Imlovinglife

I don't know if "look down" is the right word.

I will, however, admit that when I see people doing hard and low paid jobs, I quietly thank my stars I was born with a good brain and the ability and discipline to learn and study.

Obviously, I keep that to myself.

We all think that a bit sometimes. Admit it!

If you have read some of these posts you will see that some of the carers have also been born with a good brain and discipline to lean and study hence the degrees they hold.

Oh, I would never think this in a million years. It's so saddening that people do.
You are WONDERFUL!

I suspect there's an assumption that if you are bright you could earn lots more for less stress and easier work so why wouldn't you ... people putting a priority on money over rewarding work

Personally I think it's the type of work I could never cope with -and can't understand why it's so underpaid

@junepassing it's lovely to hear your going on to Uni. Your experience of the MDT meeting sounds poor. If you register with the hospital bank staff Sundays and nights are excellent pay. Saturday is good pay too.

I hope your doing Physio or OT is you remain in health care. Honestly the hierarchy that comes with nursing is enough to me off for life.

I am not sure it is the actual job role that is looked down on, per se. However many private agencies are horrendous, treating the staff terribly. Therefore there is a high turnover of staff and a perception that staff who stick it, are there out of desperation to feed their families etc and not for career purposes. It sounds like you are working for a good company so that doesn't apply here. I think its the employers that are the problem, not the job roles and certainly not the individuals who work there.

@Junepassing

Yes they absolutely do in my experience, I work as an HCA in primary care. I'm expected to do blood tests, health checks, dressings, removal of sutures/staples, ecgs, flu vaccines, B12 injections and the list goes on . . I regularly have inappropriate patients booked into my clinic, and often when I explain to the nurse that I'm not trained or qualified to do that, I get the 'oh go on it's easy, it's only x,y,z . .' I looked up my pay the other day and realised that they're paying me a band 2 . . I'd earn more working in a supermarket with far less responsibility and aggravation.

Then on the other side of the coin, constant micro aggressions about being 'just an HCA', I'm regularly spoken over or ignored. I attended an MDT meeting the other day just to mention a patient with a possible uti, where I was constantly spoken over and contradicted. I said something about the volume of blood needed for a particular blood test the other day, the gp did a sympathetic head tilt 'oh wow I'm surprised you would know that'. I attended a B12 study day a while back, and the whole thing was incredibly patronising towards HCA's, bearing in mind we are encouraged to learn these skills and don't get any extra pay for them. One HCA on the course said something about the lungs and gas exchange in response to a question, que the course leaders sympathetic head tilt 'oh wow how did you know that? Are you going to night school or something?' Ahh yes, of course, we're all thick and uneducated, none of us have so much as two GCSEs to rub together.

Needless to say I've had enough of being run ragged each day, paid appallingly, seeing more face to face patients than anyone else there and on top of that being spoken too like I'm not in possession of a brain. The only thing that makes it bearable is the patients who are almost all unfailingly pleasant and grateful for the care they receive. Leaving soon to go to university, I'm lucky that I can do that, I feel for the HCA's out there who are amazing but looked down upon, and either can't leave or don't want too because they love their jobs, love their patients and are far braver than me.

I am so sorry you have been treated so badly. They will realise when you leave just how good you are and I am quite sure they will regret being dickheads then! Good luck with your future

I’m a HCSW in a community nursing team and have never had this attitude from patients, colleagues or the doctors in the surgery I work from. I’m sorry so many of you have had this though it’s really not on

I always have the opinion that regardless of role to treat with the same respect. Makes me sctrach my head when anyone looks down at the cleaner, shop assistant or carer ( your basically looking down at people who if did not do that role society would not run).

No on to hca / carers. I believe the issue with hca role is lack of funding and professional title. Hca used to be called nursing assistant basically they would do the job the nurse is not got time to do and help and support. Due to nurses being undated with paper work the hca act9does more of what nurses used to do. But it's cheaper for the government to have them as hca rather than nurse in training.

Carers who work in homes. Well it depends really on the home. To the owner it's a business therefore figures and funding comes into play. And problem with that is then they choose for staff, training and who to employ. If someone has no qualifications ( did not say not intelligent, interlect is more than if you can read understand and reword, I have a degree). You can pay less.

It rolls down hill as then care given is not as it should be. As the brilliant carer/ hca get annoyed with wanting to do right but is prevented from that and professionally development as is let's be honest... Business.

Ontop of that the carer is looked down upon from ignorant people.

All comes down to funding and training.

Makes me laugh people who look down at carers, do they not realise that the people they look down at will be the people they need the most later in life. ( side note anyone can be disabled at anytime).

I really do wonder about our views in society and feel we are regressing.

Take care xx

I wonder if it's area dependant on what term is used perhaps? If I hear the term HCA I would associate it with hospital_community. Where I work we use the term CSW (Clinical Support worker) and some badges do say Nursing assistant on mainly B3.

On the wards they would often write or use the term qualified or non qualified it's a bit rude really.

My mother in law used to be a ward clerk in a hospital and would speak reverentially about the doctors and surgeons.
They were god almighty, to her and could do no wrong, in her eyes.

Less so about the nurses, of course and would describe HCAs dismissively as 'bum washers'.

I was staggered by the level of disrespect.

#Imlovinglife, what an obnoxiously smug reply! What worthy job did you end up in, after all your hard work and excellent education?

I do completely agree with you that people do look down on HCAs and I'I think it's wrong people do this, HOWEVER, people do play a lot of money for homecare and the cost is extortionate. So if you were looking after my Gran and it looked like you were packing up to go early, I'd definitely ask you to do the dishes if there are dishes in the sink. Why should I have to do it if she pays someone who has it written in the care plan to help with light housework jobs? If it's part of your job and it's part of the package then you do it. I mean, fair enough if you've done your full allotted time and they're asking you to do a job that isn't in the care plan, obviously that's unacceptable, but if it's something you usually do, then you shouldn't just assume it's an easier visit because they have friends and family round. They come round to visit and spend quality time with the person, not do their jobs.

@Scooby5kids

I do completely agree with you that people do look down on HCAs and I'I think it's wrong people do this, HOWEVER, people do play a lot of money for homecare and the cost is extortionate. So if you were looking after my Gran and it looked like you were packing up to go early, I'd definitely ask you to do the dishes if there are dishes in the sink. Why should I have to do it if she pays someone who has it written in the care plan to help with light housework jobs? If it's part of your job and it's part of the package then you do it. I mean, fair enough if you've done your full allotted time and they're asking you to do a job that isn't in the care plan, obviously that's unacceptable, but if it's something you usually do, then you shouldn't just assume it's an easier visit because they have friends and family round. They come round to visit and spend quality time with the person, not do their jobs.

Your so far away from reality. Your example is wild and random.

A lot of home care visits have been cut to 15mins and 30 minutes. You can't assume that people are going home early how dare you why would you assume people are leaving early? Do you leave early in your job role?

The fact that pay a lot of money for care packages isn't the carers issue that's seperate altogether. People would get reported and sacked if they were not doing their job correctly as you would too!

I absolutely admire care assistants as it’s a job I couldn’t do myself. The pay is pitifully low considering all that the job entails. They have my utmost respect.

And I say this as somebody who has a ‘professional’ job.

Yes sadly many people do

And support my workers

They are the backbone and as much needed as other workers in many facilities

Places can not run with out them and it’s time they were paid better and respected more. The job is often far more involved than many believe it to be

@Scooby5kids I certainly wouldn't ask someone to wash the dishes if I could do it myself! Care workers are given minutes between appointments to get from one to the other - hence their timing isn't always 100% because the people organising the rotas don't know how long it actually takes to get from A to B.
Rarely are they paid travel time or for their "breaks". I think what people don't realise is that, although they may pay £20 an hr for Jill to come and look after Grandad, Jill gets less than half of that! They are not paid enough to care (fortunately they're are a good few eggs who are genuinely in the role because they DO care!) and greedy care companies are getting away with this farce of a system. It really does need a proper overhaul, to be recognised seriously and on a par with NHS staff at the v least.

@Scooby5kids

I do completely agree with you that people do look down on HCAs and I'I think it's wrong people do this, HOWEVER, people do play a lot of money for homecare and the cost is extortionate. So if you were looking after my Gran and it looked like you were packing up to go early, I'd definitely ask you to do the dishes if there are dishes in the sink. Why should I have to do it if she pays someone who has it written in the care plan to help with light housework jobs? If it's part of your job and it's part of the package then you do it. I mean, fair enough if you've done your full allotted time and they're asking you to do a job that isn't in the care plan, obviously that's unacceptable, but if it's something you usually do, then you shouldn't just assume it's an easier visit because they have friends and family round. They come round to visit and spend quality time with the person, not do their jobs.

This is the type of attitude that allows care companies to make huge profits on care while care assistants are being exploited and clients not recieving the care they need.

I agree, people are paying a lot for care, any care, not just home care, but no one seems to worry about where it's going, because it's not going on training, adequate staffing, fair pay or the actual care - that much is obvious. But while people continue to think that the care assistant is doing something wrong and short changing the client nothing will change, they're the available scapegoat for the lack of resources available and meanwhile the care companies rake in the profit. Win win for them isn't it?!

I think it's partly part of the ugly culture we have here in the UK. In Sweden, I noticed people had pride in doing so called 'lower' status jobs, there didn't seem to be the same sense of lowliness/shame about it we have here.

@Ameanstreakamilewide

Ironic really considering ward clerks are often a band lower on the pay scale than the bum washers. What a delightful MIL you have.

@Countdownis35

Yes those sorts of jobs are possible with privately paying clients and they get done.

There’s 15/20 minutes allocated for state provision.

Has anyone else noticed that the privately paying clients are the most miserable? This isn’t me being judgemental, as most of the old people I’ve cared for have dementia so it’s not that they could possibly help it but I just cannot NOT notice.

It’s usually the old dears in the worst of poverty and living conditions who are usually the most cheerful. Makes you wonder about life as one minute you can be in a dingy flat and the next in a very large house.

@cansu

I would like to see a degree level course with courses in special needs and other health conditions, psychology. The job needs to become a profession with a progression ladder and appropriate pay.

No as a healthcare support worker who works in learning disabilities and has just started training to be a nursing associate this would put so many people off and there are already so many shortages of healthcare assistants especially in special needs- we cannot recruit at all and making it w profession would put a lot of brilliant care staff off who are great at their jobs but not academic. Those who do want to progress have opportunities such as the nursing associate or apprenticeships but it needs to remain a role that doesn't require a degree as you would lose some fantastic staff.

A nursing associate is a potential Band 4? It's a 2 year degree? With an option of nursing top up.

The NHS are trying to be a Band 2 HCA (which I think is uncessary for the practical side of the job) is now A level qualification and it's takes at least 18 months to gain.

Yes nursing associate once qualified is a band 4 - it's a two year intense course that you do while working in your area and on placements and you can then top up to be a qualified nurse. It's a good route for those who want to progress and do more studying but still get paid although as I was a hcsw at band 3 it is quite a lot of effort to just go up a band!
It came about as a way of bridging the gap between hcas and registered nurses .
I still think it's vital to have hcas that don't need to have particular academic skills. The shortage of care staff is so shocking we need to make it accessible to people based on their compassion and care .

Band 4 is a degree because you graduate after. I think unfortunately everything is qualifications these days. It's a job that needs training and it won't be recognised whilst like another poster states "no qualifications needed". It's interesting that a poster mentioned a lot of of care work (nursing homes) salaries are a lot less in terms of salary been paid. This is why though because you can't work as Band 2 in NHS with no qualifications they have made it a lot harder since I started 10 years ago.