Undervalued Care Workers

A new report by Audit Scotland has revealed that care workers do not receive adequate recognition or reward for their vital role.

According to the report, employees in social care had been disappointed by poor terms and conditions. This contributed to recruitment difficulties, higher rates of sick leaves and higher vacancies in the respective industry. With a budget of over £5bn annually, the report says money would be better allocated through a greater focus on preventative care.

The issues of recruitment and retention

The report also found that social care workers in Scotland face huge pressure, and the sector faces ongoing challenges with recruiting and retaining staff.

A survey of staff revealed that almost a quarter of participants leave within the first three months and 88% of providers complained about recruitment problems.

The majority of home care workers and 74% of care home workers reported not having enough time with clients to deliver compassionate and dignified care. Three-quarters of those who did training on their own said it frequently disrupted their day.

Planning and results

A minister for social care said the National Care Service would make sure everyone in Scotland receives the high-quality care to which they are entitled. However, the report noted that little planning has yet been accomplished.

The report discovered, "A clear plan is needed now to address the significant challenges facing social care in Scotland based on what can be taken forward without legislation, which could provide strong foundations for an NCS."

Several of the issues raised by Audit Scotland are already being taken into consideration by the social care minister, such as staff recruitment and retention, and the need to emphasize preventative care.

In response to the ongoing pressures facing social care, the minister stressed he was not waiting for the National Care Service to measure up before acting, citing additional funding and an increase in minimum wage rates for staff.

Scottish Conservative social care spokesman Craig Hoy said the report should serve as a "wake-up call" to ministers. Hoy said "heroic staff" were being overwhelmed and that centralizing care services was not the answer.