News
Study highlights need to recognise value of the care at home workforce in Wales
21 June 2010
The need to recognise the value of the care at home workforce is one of the recommendations from a major report to be launched during Social Care Week (21-25 June).
The report is the result of a Care Council-commissioned study, the first of its kind in the UK, examined the care at home workforce in Wales over a period of 18 months to find out what was needed to make it fit for the increasing demands of the future.
The report, compiled by researchers at the Welsh Institute for Health and Social Care, the University of Glamorgan, Insight Social Research and the Management Standards Consultancy says care workers have often had to apply new knowledge and skills to meet the challenges of supporting vulnerable people.
In support of the recommendation to recognise the value of the workforce, the report states:
"The recommendation acknowledges the way in which care at home workers, in all sectors, have responded to the evolving challenges posed in meeting the support needs of vulnerable people. The extent of that knowledge and the nature of those skills often go unrecognised and this is reflected in the low status that is often ascribed to ‘care jobs’. Care at home services are perennially short of resources and need improved funding – however, as an era of cuts begins, there are real fears that what is already stretched will need to be stretched further," says the report.
The study included primary research with commissioners, providers, carers and service users from across Wales to get a picture of the reality of care at home. It examined what the workforce currently looks like; the vision for the future workforce and what was needed to make the current workforce fit for the future.
The recommendation on valuing the workforce was one of five proposals on how to move the current workforce towards the vision for the future. The other recommendations were:
· to enhance the role of the workforce in assessing needs, planning, coordination, reviews and working alongside others;
· to address the workforce implications of developing integrated services;
· to support the workforce in delivering outcome- and person-focused services;
· and to explore the consequences for the workforce of new service options around self-directed support.
Gerry Evans, Director of Regulation and Standards at the Care Council, commented: "The Assembly Government’s 10-year strategy, Fulfilled Lives, Supportive Communities, has already identified care at home as a crucial part of the sector in enabling people to remain in the community, if they wish to do so. There is also an increasing number of those receiving care who are choosing to stay in their homes for longer.
"Sharing the findings of the study during Social Care Week will allow us to gather feedback from audiences that will later contribute to the future action for the workforce," he added.
The launch of the Care at Home findings will take place in Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, on Tuesday 22 June and Venue Cymru, Llandudno on Thursday 24 June.
These events will be followed by a conference in September which will allow the audience to discuss the findings with the researchers and other specialists in the field, and contribute to a future action plan for the domiciliary care workforce.
Ends
For more information on the study or the events during Social Care Week, contact Charmine Smikle by e-mailing her on charmine.smikle@ccwales.org.uk or telephoning 029 2078 0626.
Notes to editors
1. The study was conducted over an 18 month period, from October 2008 to Autumn 2010
2. The study included primary research with commissioners, providers, carers and service users from across Wales to get a picture of the reality of care at home.
