Care Minister asks care workers to voice ideas on how bosses can make them feel valued

The Minister for Care Caroline Dinenage is asking care workers to give their views about employee benefits and working conditions in the sector, as part of a drive to make them feel more valued by bosses.

Part of the government's campaign to improve poor staff recruitment and retention in the care sector, England’s 1.47 million care workers are being asked to submit ideas to shape government policy and get them the recognition and rewards they want.

The government wants to know whether their care bosses offer employee benefits or reward schemes, if this has influenced the care worker's choice of job or makes them feel valued, and anything else care staff would like to see offered.

Caroline Dinenage, speaking at the ADASS Spring Seminar, said: “Many adult social care providers provide outstanding packages of employee benefits, but it is time to ensure better access across the country.

“Our adult social care staff deserve to be recognised and feel valued for the incredible, life-changing work they do, and I know that this isn’t always the case.”

Care sector has highest turnover rate

The care sector has the highest turnover rate of all sectors in the UK, with one in three workers leaving the sector every year, according to a report by the Care Association Alliance.

Published earlier this year, its ‘Social Care Workforce Study’ described recruiting and retraining staff as tough in a sector where average pay for a care assistant is £350 a week - £200 a week less than the UK all-jobs average.

The sector must recruit 128,000 new staff members every year to replace those that retire or leave and to meet increasing demand from an ageing population but in 2016, the sector recruited only 20,000, according to the Care Association Alliance.

The care workforce is now being urged to give their views during the month of May via Talk Health and Care - the first online platform of its kind where NHS and social care staff can share opinions directly with ministers and the government.

Caroline Dinenage said: “I want our brilliant adult social care workforce to share examples of employee benefits and rewards schemes offered by their employers. This is their chance to have their say and help shape national policies that could benefit staff working across the sector.”

#TalkHealthandCare

The online platform was set up by Health Secretary Matt Hancock and since its launch in September, ideas by staff have contributed to policies such as the improvement of shift rota systems in the NHS.

Care workers can submit ideas about the kinds of work benefits they believe would make them feel more valued. This may, for example, include flexible working arrangements, ‘Employee of the month’ awards, discounts on shopping, holidays, cinema, gym, dining etc.

The care minister’s call for comments, follows her ‘Every Day is Different’ national adult social care recruitment campaign, launched in February, to raise the image and profile of the care sector.

Julie Ogley, the new President of ADASS (Association of Directors of Adult Social Services) said: “People who work in adult social care are highly skilled, valued and committed but unfortunately do not always get the recognition and rewards they deserve.

“Social care staff deserve to be rewarded fairly for the work they do, which needs to be part of a long-term sustainable funding solution for the sector as a whole.”

You can join the conversation using the hashtag #TalkHealthandCare.

To share your ideas click here .

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