Quality Care - Minimum Wages

westv

brineybay wrote: »

I guess there must be a massive surplus of carers or something for the wages to be so low, but there are always 'carer' jobs advertised all over the place in the south. If there really are so many people who want to be carers, why are there always so many vacancies for them? - Aging population in the South perhaps?

Perhaps it's because there's a high turnover of staff - employers paying minimum wage so they think staff are easy come easy go??

ILW

Torry_Quine wrote: »

Good care is not as easy as you seem to think. For example training is needed to know how to move people without hurting them or yourself.

I am not saying it is easy (I am closely connected with the sector) but you can have someone up and running with all they need to know within a couple of days. I believe the standards should be higher but in the end it is Social Services who provide the money and providers have to work around that.

ohreally

ILW wrote: »

Care takes little in the way of experience or qualifications

In Scotland, home carers require to be registered to practice, with a minimum of SVQ2/ 60 credits at SCQF level 6 or above.
http://www.sssc.uk.com/sssc/all-about-registration/qualifications-for-a-worker-in-a-care-at-home-service.html

The qual of choice for most of the sector is HNC Social care combined with SVQ III http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/31636.html

dawyldthing

i'm a support worker, but some of the work we do is partly care. Some perks - generally when we take them out everything is paid for by the person you support, be it travel, food, accomodation, entertainment any holidays they want to go on or anything. To a degree were mostly independent, but usually have to ask the boss for our plans to see if there ok to do, but most things are agreed. No day is ever the same really, and on the whole all our SU are grand to be around and are glad to have you there. It can be hard work, and personal care gets some getting used to, but if you care and think to yourself 'if that was my nan here how would I want her treated and looked after' it usually helps. But generally were there to enable them to have an independent living. Admittedly we are paid a bit above minimum wage from the agency we work for, but they have kept most of us on for a while so it might be why. Plus our boss is quite relaxed with stuff and lets you just get on with your job which is nice. It depends if your in a nursing home or in their own homes, as we help people in their own home and I do think it makes a difference to the rules and stuff.