Care sector 'crying out' for volunteers in coronavirus battle to protect elderly and disabled

Care homes and home care agencies across the UK are appealing for volunteers to help the elderly and disabled by signing up to the National Care Force platform, which connects volunteers to care providers.

Drivers, cooks, care workers, errand runners and people offering companionship are among the voluntary workers needed but the public do not need experience to sign up to National Care Force.

The free, online platform has been launched to create a UK-wide voluntary care workforce.

Workforce shortages in the care sector existed before the coronavirus outbreak but have grown with the COVID-19 crisis, as more staff get sick and are forced to self-isolate instead of going to work in care homes or for people in their homes.

Care providers are ‘crying out' for volunteers

While the NHS asked for 250,000 and received 750,000 volunteers, the social care sector is now in desperate need of its own army of volunteers.

The online platform, created by health technology firm Florence, lets volunteers book shifts across the social care sector. The shifts are posted by care providers.

Florence co-founder Dr Charles Armitage launched National Care Force, which is a not-for-profit organisation with a charitable status pending.

In a statement on its website, National Care Force stated: ‘Social care is separate from the NHS, and its 1.6 million care providers are crying out for aid in this time of need.

'These providers will not receive NHS funding or volunteers to combat the effects of the virus.

'This is why we are here. We need you to join us now in helping our social care system - from volunteers and care providers, to donors, technology and media partners'.

The public can sign up as a National Care Force volunteer by visiting: www.nationalcareforce.co.uk.

If you are looking for a job in a care home, you can click here