Ex Edinburgh social care worker speaks out on recruitment issues
An Edinburgh woman who recently left the social care sector is speaking to Forth News about difficulties around retaining and recruiting staff
A former Edinburgh carer is lifting the lid on the problems around the sector in the Capital, which is leading to "exhausted" staff leaving the profession, and difficulties recruiting replacements.
Carmen Simon worked in social care for a decade, but recently gave it up, saying the pay wasn't rising to match inflation and that the pressures of the job continued to mount.
Ms Simon is also Vice Chair of Edinburgh's Trades Union Council, who last week warned staff were leaving in droves and that some were "expected to work 24 shifts."
She helped present these issues to the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board last Tuesday (August 9th).
Ms Simon said:
“Since the end of the lockdown, social care providers in Edinburgh have been experiencing a problem of recruitment and retention of staff that is increasing exponentially.”
She said she was “an example” of workers not wanting to “remain in a sector that pays low wages and demands a high level of responsibilities”.
She continued: “Many social care workers have left the sector because of dramatic experiences during Covid; lack of PPE, lack of guidance and stress, etc.
“The problem of recruitment and retention have been amplified by the consequences of Brexit and the cost of living crisis.
“A substantial number of care workers are moving into other sectors like retail where terms and conditions are similar, and sometimes even better, and they have less responsibilities.
“Union representatives and members are reporting of staffing levels so low that social care workers are expected to work 24 hour shifts, as many as three per week.”
Prior to the pandemic, a 2017 study showed Edinburgh already had the second lowest concentration of social care staff of all Scottish local authorities.
Earlier this year a report by Audit Scotland concluded the country’s care workforce “is under immense pressure and feels undervalued”, citing low pay and poor conditions of employment as key causes of a high vacancy rate and issues recruiting and retaining staff.
Ms Simon continued: “Social care workers are exhausted. We are aware that in many cases, new staff members don’t receive adequate induction to the job, in some cases no induction whatsoever.
“And don’t forget we are talking about workers who support adults in the community with high levels of care and support needs including challenging behaviour and learning difficulties and mental health issues."
A spokesperson from the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership said: “All care at home services across the city – those provided direct by the council or commissioned by the council – are regulated by the Care Inspectorate to maintain good quality standards to support those receiving care and, where care standards fall short, take action.
“Within our in-house delivered services, we have no care at home services operating over 24 hours. Our processes also provide us with regular reporting enabling us to monitor overtime so that no-one person is at risk of disproportionate hours.
“We recognise the important and hard work done by all carers across the city and working with our external care partners, we take very seriously the comments made about excessive shifts. We have immediately followed this up with the TUC branch and will take appropriate action if necessary.”