Care home drama Help praised by care workers charity as 'moving and powerful'

Channel 4’s care home drama Help starring Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham has been commended by the Care Workers’ Charity for “accurately portraying the feelings of despair and abandonment” by care workers during the pandemic.

The harrowing drama set during the height of the pandemic last year highlighted the “lack of PPE“ and “complete lack of guidance and support” from the government, according to the charity’s chief executive Karolina Gerlich.

Killing Eve star Jodie Comer plays a newly qualified care worker called Sarah in a care home in Liverpool, who forms a friendship with Tony played by Stephen Graham, who has young onset dementia. The drama shows the horrors of Covid and the daily emotional and physical challenges faced by care workers.

Jack Thorne who wrote the TV version of His Dark Materials, has revealed that he wrote Help for his mum who worked in a care home for 20 years.

Ms Gerlich said: “As the UK’s charity for the social care workforce, we were proud that the sector and its outstanding workers were represented in this moving and powerful film.

“The acting of all involved was phenomenal - with the mood and setting of the piece perfectly conveying the apocalyptic nature of the experience endured by those who worked in the social care sector during the pandemic.”

She also praised the focus on “the importance of relationships in social care work” saying: “Care work is a vocation centred around relationships; knowing and understanding those who you are supporting, giving them time, and making a difference to their lives.

“Sarah has to phone the family of one of her residents to tell them he has passed away - a heart breaking reality for so many care workers. His death devastates her, a feeling that will be all too familiar to anyone who has worked in social care and has lost someone they were supporting.”

Care home staff were seen desperately trying to source PPE with Sarah forced to wear a bin bag apron for ‘protection’ in the night shift scene and a care home manager forced to improvise with masks from a builder friend.

“The PPE issues are well shown, and the inclusion at the very end of the drama of the statistics comparing PPE distribution to social care to that received by the NHS are particularly harrowing, and important to demonstrate.

“Further, Help reminds us of the complete lack of guidance and support that was given to social care workers; abandoned by the government, they faced these horrendous challenges on their own. The viewer watches as Sarah frantically phones the GP, Out of Hours Service, 111 and finally 999 to access emergency medical care for her resident - and is told she is on her own,” said Ms Gerlich.

Care home workers were left to fend for themselves and “in light of this, we as a charity cannot begin to comprehend the content of the government’s recent Social Care Statement which will leave care workers out of pocket - with an increase in income tax, and no prospect of a pay rise.

"We further remain astonished that the English government refused to give social care workers any form of bonuses - as was the case in other nations.

"We believe that if this was any other sector (and we can see this from healthcare), there would be financial rewards, public recognition in national awards to workers, and talk of heroism."

The Care Workers’ Charity provides free financial and wellbeing support to social care workers in crisis.

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