“I had never considered a career in care until my grandfather’s stroke when I found myself assisting him in his daily living”, says Chris Ravenscroft.
Chris, who is now a Clinical Nurse Manager at Cheshire Springs care home, says he pursued a nursing career after “one of my grandfather’s carers said to me ‘You’re a natural at this Chris’.”
He applied for a job in the care sector and, later got accepted into university as a nursing student.
Busting myths with #MenCareToo
His nursing studies led to his current job at Cheshire Springs Care Home run by Exemplar Health Care.
He now wants more men to see themselves as getting a successful career in care and is backing the #MenCareToo campaign at Exemplar Health Care, which aims to challenge gender stereotypes.
Chris hopes that by sharing his story he can bust some of the misconceptions and encourage more men to pursue social care careers.
“Working in social care is extremely rewarding and a sector where everyone is welcome. I still find it surprising that in 2023, many people are shocked when I tell them what I do for work. Throughout my career it’s been evident that more women work in care”.
Only 19% of the social care workforce are men (according to Skills for Care data, 2023) and this is due in part to gender stereotypes.
Chris says a lack of visibility and representation of men in social care means some men may fear judgment or face stereotypes about their masculinity if they choose a career in social care.
Jobs in social care can be overlooked by men because they involve skills like caregiving and nurturing, which are wrongly viewed as qualities only females possess.
Some ‘prefer to have men support them’
Andy Teare, head of recruitment at Exemplar Health Care said: “Men in social care bring a unique perspective and skill set to the team, contributing to a more inclusive and diverse approach to care giving and helping us better engage and build strong relationships with some of the people we support.
“We know that some people living in our homes prefer to have men support them, particularly for tasks such as personal care.
“However, it’s also really important when we consider the full range of activities, hobbies and community visits that some of the people we support like to engage in and the practicalities of supporting them to do so.”
Exemplar Health Care provides care in its care homes each week to support elderly people and adults living with physical disabilities, mental health conditions, complex care needs such as dementia, learning disabilities and neuro-disabilities including brain injuries.
‘I would strongly encourage anyone’ to work in care
Chris says: “I would strongly encourage anyone who wants to make a difference to the lives of people in their local community to consider a career in care.
“There are plenty of job opportunities, many different flexible work options, and there are lots of different types of care services and settings meaning there is something for everyone.”
You can find more about different jobs in social care here.
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