CWC Survey Results
2022 was a year of people, upheaval and Evel Knievel fiscal policies. Throughout all of this carers continued to do their job and support hundreds of thousands of people across the UK to live their lives with dignity and purpose.
The Care Workers Charity wanted to gain a deeper understanding of how carers feel about their jobs, their role in their communities, and what the future holds for our sector after another year of supporting vulnerable carers.
We partnered with the Care Workers Charity to conduct a survey just before Christmas. We wanted to understand how caregivers envision the future and their experiences as caregivers.
“At The Care Workers’ Charity our sole objective is to support care workers and the sector as a whole,” explained Care Workers Charity Marketing Manager Jenni Mack. “Hearing directly from care workers about the what and why is so important. Care workers are the frontline so their needs, experiences and opinions matter so much. We’re listening and trying to support as best we can”
Technology Survey Results
Technology will play a significant role in the future of care. It is frequently at the forefront of new initiatives and policies from the government and the recently established Integrated Care Systems. Recent initiatives by the government and Integrated Care Systems often place it at the forefront of new initiatives and policies. When we consider the huge amount of change being planned and implemented in so many different ways, it is imperative we remember how new systems will affect those who will use them.
The overwhelming response was one of understanding and appreciation. This highlights the role technology can play in social care, as it shows the need for those of us who supply technology to stay aligned with the realities of providing frontline care. Innovation cannot happen in a vacuum. It is only through the continued collaboration of technology suppliers and care providers that we can develop effective functionality that addresses the needs of everyone in care.
Recruitment Survey Results
There is a huge demand for care, and by extension carers, in the UK. The most recent Skills for Care report revealed there are 165,000 vacancies in care in the UK. A 51% increase since 20/21. Respective governments have implemented recruitment campaigns to help address this concerning figure, such as ‘Made with Care’ in England and ‘There is More to Care than Caring’ in Scotland.
We went straight to the source to find out more about the motivation carers had for joining the sector initially, and the motivation they’d impart to people interested in joining them.
People always lie at the heart of care. It is no surprise that people lie at the heart of carers and their motivation for their work. Care can be a real source of purpose for those that provide it. However, it is not an easy undertaking, and the reality of being a carer is also reflected strongly in our survey.
Whether you are the perfect candidate when you start or you grow into the role over time, it takes a certain kind of person to be a carer.
Retention Survey Results
Of course, we are all human at the end of the day. The Skills for Care report also highlights the fact that last year saw the care workforce shrink for the first time. Ever increasing challenges, regulations and costs make choosing a role in care simply inaccessible for some people. Our survey asked both why carers enjoy their roles, and if they think about leaving.
Care can be a wonderful calling. It gives you the opportunity to meet, support and grow with a wide range of people. An inherently human and community driven endeavour.
It is also incredibly difficult. Care has long felt like the ‘little brother’ of the healthcare system. A useful talking point for politicians that rarely sees the follow through it deserves.
Our survey reflected both the inspiring and challenging episodes that carers experience. This shows that care is an incredible power, but it must be nurtured and supported more completely or it runs the risk of burning out the workforce.
Public Opinion
Care exists in an unfortunate state of flux, few people know about it until they need it. Though once they realise precisely what care is, and how carers support their communities they become devout spokespeople for our sector.
While this is an effective approach in individual cases, it is not the solution to wider appreciation for social care that we are searching for. We need to find a better way to make a compelling case about the necessity, vitality and opportunity that care represents. We asked carers what they believed the most common misunderstandings and misconceptions the public holds about people in care.
Our survey revealed many harsh truths that carers deal with everyday. Those that reflect the lack of understanding of care show how despite the incredible efforts of carers, many feel they are not respected, let alone appreciated, by their wider communities.
At times we can feel like care is on a short road off a high cliff, being tasked with flying while carrying a heavy weight. The Care Workers Charity continues to provide emergency support for carers, as well as a suite of other services. Services that will be shaped by the responses to this survey, as we all work together to improve the reach, effectiveness and understanding of care in 2023.