To think it's such a shame that this role pays minimum wage?

[Glowup33333]

I'm looking for a new job atm. Have previously worked in Healthcare and have seen a role to work in end of life care in a hospice local to me, however it's paid at £11.44 an hour i.e. min wage.

The role itself is permanent, contracted, paid breaks and so on but it's quite a shame to see it's paid so little.
As I live alone, I cannot afford to live on minimum wage. Society does not seem to value healthcare roles at all and something such as dealing with end of life cancer patients, you'd think there would be a greater appreciation for it. The priorities are all wrong in this country.

The staff when my mum was in the hospice were absolute angels. The things they need to deal with and see and do they should absolutely be paid alot more.

Definitely not being unreasonable! My mil applied for a job as a support worker for a residential home for autistic young adults. It didn’t advertise the salary on the advert, but she then found out that they were offering £11.60 per hour which just seems absolute peanuts for what they expect

Totally agree. It's a very responsible role and a really important one - like all healthcare roles. But they are undervalued, I suspect at least in part, because it has traditionally been 'women's work'.

There’s a care work agency that keeps posting the same 2 jobs into my local community Facebook group and I’m gobsmacked at the unsociable hours and the specifics of the job description that they want and expect someone to do it for £11.44 an hour.

It’s really unsurprising to me that they can’t fill the role.

The emotional toll that that must take aswell and to only put minimum wage on it. This job will be filled with people forced by the job centre to work there.

You are right. Such an important job should be paid more. I don't think hospices are NHS funded, are they? So they probably have very little money anyway.

True, they probably don't have the budget sadly.

A home care agency near me is advertising in their words an 'excellent salary' of £11.75 an hour...

Aren't hospices generally charities with minimal government funding? This is taken from the web page of a local hospice.
Having to raise so much each day it's no wonder that unfortunately some have to pay workers minimum wage for such an important job.

We have a dedicated team of nurses, doctors, therapists, social workers and counsellors, but only 17% of our funds are provided by the NHS – we need to raise £27,500 per day, with the support of the local community, in order to continue our services.

I would hope the Job Centre would not force people to work in care. You need to have certain qualities as a person that you just can't learn. It is also not fair on the patients.

Many care homes are now privately owned therefore ran for profit, the lower the wages, the greater the profit. Awful. Wages in public sector homes are almost 50% higher in care homes for children, I'd guess the same applies in all care sectors. Child care staff in the home I manage are all on over £30k, it's closer to £20k in private sector (if that!)

@WeylandYutani They do force it, unfortunately.

It is shocking how little we pay healthcare workers.

Not that people who are in marketing jobs etc, that bring money in to a business shouldn't be on £30k, but in the grand scheme, HCW do a much harder job and deserve a similar salary.

That would probably explain the various scandals about residents getting abused etc.

Yes exactly. The wages paid to carers are a disgrace. Childcare workers too. Their skills are horrifically undervalued.

Definitely seen as women's work, like childcare, domestic cleaners etc.. I don't see it changing sadly.

I knew someone who did respite care. The home was privately owned and the clients paid $1000 a night to stay there (presumably gov funded). She was paid min wage in Australia, and the ‘overnight’ shift was like 14 hours or something and she wasn’t paid during the time the clients were asleep and she was asleep. If she got up to help them it was documented and she had to write how many 15 min time slots she used

That is crazy. Surely if you are in your workplace, you should be getting paid?

It's shocking. I work in an area which supports people who have experienced trauma and abuse to rebuild their lives. Many of the highly skilled support workers earn little over the minimum wage. Some have left to work in a supermarket because they can earn more and it's less stressful.

There's nothing wrong with working in a supermarket. But people who are highly trained and specialised at what they do and are leaving in droves due to burnout and poor pay and conditions. It also means struggle to recruit and retain staff.