Staff shortages in social care pose NHS problems

bbcnews social care recruitment

BBC Report is based on the Skills for Care Report October 2021. SfC Oct Workforce report

Nothing that surprises anyone at NESCHA as there has been a regular turnover of  around 35% of social care workers for some time. We are engaged with a forum of domiciliary care providers and will do some research work with them, but its clear that there are less demanding jobs around ( hours and emotional toll especially due to Covid) which are better paid. Add in limitations post Brexit, Covid vaccinations and so on , along with existing challenges of training and support, perhaps a lack of mutual respect between NHS and social care, and finally the means testing for social care and free NHS treatment ( is dementia an illness or a social care condition?!) and the problems start.

So many care workers do their job as they really do care for residents – witness the workers who left families behind and moved into care home gardens to avoid  the spread of covid and we should all realise how lucky we are that they do so.

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