Care staff shortage is linked to low pay and the low value placed on such vital work

News Letter editorial of Monday December 6 2021:
News Letter editorialNews Letter editorial
News Letter editorial

The Covid crisis has caused some massive changes in parts of Northern Ireland society.

While parts of the community were untouched by lockdown, above all the public sector, other spheres have been impacted severely. There are shortages of cleaners, of trades people, of chefs, etc.

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One sector that is particularly badly hit is domiciliary care — in other words, care in home.

Such care is vital for various reasons. It alleviates pressure on hospitals, on care homes and gives vulnerable people what they typically want — support in their own house.

But problems with finding care staff pre-date lockdown. We are told that almost 3,000 people are waiting for a domiciliary care package. Anyone who is familiar with home care will know that visiting care staff often change from day to day, due to staff shortages. There has been great difficulty in recruiting, or retaining care staff.

Most such provision is publicly funded, which indeed is a part of the problem. When trades people are in short supply (and people who have needed plumbing or gardening or electricity work done will know that they are) then they can put up their prices. Care workers theoretically can do this but only if they do private work, but no-one wants care provision to become the domain of the wealthy.

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So what do we do? Well, pay for care workers is low, and has risen as a result of the shortages, but is still typically not much above the minimum wage.

Many care workers have a wonderful attitude — they realise the precious nature of their work and savour it. But others are (understandably) deterred by the pressures and the modest pay.

Care work needs a society-wide reappraisal. In NI we have, for example, allowed low-ranking civil servants to be paid more than their counterparts in Great Britain. Was funding such pay rises, or similar expenditures, really a financial priority? Perhaps we should prioritise that crucial line of work, caring.

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A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

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