Karolina Gerlich: Chief Executive, Care Workers’ Charity and care worker for over 12 years

As the Chief Executive of the Care Worker’s Charity, an organisation supporting care workers across the UK, and having spent over a decade working as a care worker myself, I offer insights into how well the Care Act aligns with the realities faced by care workers on the ground. Additionally, I explore the changes necessary to enhance the experiences of both those drawing on care and support and the care workers who provide it.

At the heart of the Care Act lies a commitment to giving people greater control and choice in how they are supported. This resonates deeply with us at the Care Workers’ Charity. While unpaid carers, professional care workers, and people drawing on social care are distinct groups with their own needs, there is often a significant overlap between them. 

The Act recognises the needs of carers and gives equal importance to their wellbeing as to that of the person with care needs (although we know this does not always translate into material support). 

We cannot expect care workers to deliver excellent care without being supported themselves and need to recognise their wellbeing; it is essential to view care workers not merely as professionals fulfilling job roles, but as individuals with lives beyond their workplaces.

We believe that individuals accessing social care, along with unpaid carers and care workers, should have autonomy to make decisions best suiting their needs and preferences. Empowering care workers to make decisions that impact their professional lives is crucial. Providing avenues for professional development, fostering innovation in care practices, and involving care workers in organisational decision-making promotes job satisfaction and a sense of purpose. Well-supported care worker teams serve as powerful advocates for people drawing on social care, ultimately improving the quality of care provided. However, translating these principles into practice requires adequate resources and a fundamental shift in the way society values and respects the field of care.

Despite the commendable intentions of The Care Act, its implementation highlighted challenges faced by care workers on the ground. 

One of the most pressing issues is the shortage of care workers, compromising The Act's ability to deliver its promises effectively. 

We hear from thousands of care workers every year and know they have the skills, knowledge, and genuine desire to provide exceptional person-centred care. However, with vacancies of 152,000 within the sector, there simply aren't enough care workers to meet the principles set by The Care Act. Other resource shortages across care settings further compound these challenges. Care workers tell us about the difficulties of short home visits, inadequate funds to arrange requested activities and trips, high workloads that leave little time for conversation with those they support and the emotional toll of rushed interactions. This can be a vicious cycle with overworked care workers feeling unable to provide their best care, leading to burnout and high turnover rates.

At the heart of addressing the shortcomings of the implementation of The Care Act lies the need to better value and respect care work. This is often undervalued and underpaid, despite its vast economic contribution and profound impact on the well-being of individuals and communities. The reality is that care workers are among the lowest-paid workers in the UK, earning on average around 65 per cent of the median national salary. This financial vulnerability has been further exacerbated by external factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing cost-of-living crisis. In 2023, a staggering 74 per cent of our crisis grants were awarded to help care workers meet their daily living costs, including the increased expenses of groceries, utilities, and childcare.

Financial instability can impact on mental health, leading to negative impacts on various aspects of life, including relationships and overall wellbeing. In 2023, as well as providing our own funds we collaborated with councils, distributing grants specifically tailored to address the financial needs of care workers in their areas. They were used to support established care workers (with costs like car repairs that would otherwise prevent them from attending work shifts) and those starting out in their careers. People don't always realise the costs associated with starting care work which can include uniforms, DBS checks, and upfront costs like childcare and travel which must be met before people receive their first paycheck. Recipients told us that support not only helped them overcome immediate financial hardships but also fostered a sense of support and solidarity within the care sector, ultimately enabling them to better support those they work with.

Providing a safety net for care workers is an essential step towards building a resilient, sustainable social care system but we also need to address pay levels overall. 

There needs to be a significant investment in the retention of care workers, including offering competitive wages and comprehensive training opportunities.

 We call for working conditions that allow people to feel they are doing their best job: adequate travel time, advanced rota planning, job security, and a supportive environment. We need to elevate the status of care work and promote it as a valued and respected profession, which can be achieved through professional accreditation and the establishment of a professional body to oversee standards of practice and conduct within the sector.

As we reflect on the past decade of The Care Act, it is evident that while progress has been made, there is still much work to be done. It's essential to recognise that care workers are deeply committed to their jobs and the individuals they support. Despite the undeniable challenges of their profession, care workers consistently express their passion for their jobs, rooted in a commitment to positively impact the lives of people they work with. 

The principles of personalisation, choice, and autonomy remain integral to the provision of social care, but they can only be fully realised with sufficient resources and a renewed commitment to valuing and respecting care and care workers. By prioritising these aspects, we can pave the way for a future where everyone has access to high-quality care and support that upholds their dignity and independence.