There is a care CRISIS...but its NOT what you think!

As a live-in carer in the UK for many years, I've experienced first-hand the many challenges of our profession. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been critical in relieving strain on the NHS and saving lives by keeping elderly vulnerable adults safe at home. Yet, despite our hard work and dedication over the years, weve been facing an uphill constant battle to find work, apply for jobs, and build a sustainable business post-pandemic. 

There is sufficient evidence to prove that 40% of UK agencies are focusing on recruiting new starters and carers from abroad, offering sponsorship,  prioritising COS carers, 120000k+ visa applications where approved for carers to come to the uk, most of who where not adequately trained and do not have a DBS recordable history to check.

This article takes around 8 minutes to read, make yourself a brew, put your feet up, it may be a shock for all to finally know what's REALLY been happening.

HAVE YOU SEEN KATE GARRAWAYS ITV DOCUMENTARY called

"DEREKS STORY" ? On caring for her husband 24/7 night and day for 10 days straight, left exhausted and begging for HELP with his care,  his basic cost of care alone being £16000 per month for his Complex care needs. Leaving her in debt that She may need to sell her home, now Derek has sadly passed away.

If you haven't watched it, you should,  because it absolutely pinpoints why our UK care system is failing drastically.

AGENCIES are profiting MILLIONS,  carers are suffering and Clients aren't exactly receiving the best care foe them.

Over the last 3 years the daily rate for live in care has dropped so LOW in 2024, that it is compared to 2010 it is barely a survivable rate in a cost of living crisis, for carers to give up our lives to work away, 24/7 with unsociable hours, and also pay our own rent, bills and business rates.

Yet Live in carers are NOW expected to live in damp, cold, rooms, with no curtains, to work for less than £7 per hour is a LOWER daily rate of £100 for 24 hours on call and live on just £4 food per day.

Despite the fact the NMW in April will be £11.44, Live in carers who work 24/7 on call, are FORCED to accept work at LOW and LOWER rates,  whilst agencies profit hundreds of pounds per week from each carer.

Only By local authorities and the NHS coming together and taking control,  putting a Stop to these agencies charging double/triple to what they pay carers for the work, will it end live in carer exploitation. Finally raising the STANDARD daily rate, will eliminate  Fake agencies advertising fake jobs, and Annoymous posts on facebook Will stop the exploiting.

By stopping agencies charging double the cost of the actual care given by live in carers. The local authorities and NHS could save an estimated £509 MILLION per year.   If these extortionate agencies charging £1500+ per week for level 1-level 3 care, ( profiting £700 per week)... where stopped and self employed carers, and PAYE, got paid  for what the job involved hourly and for their skills instead, it would be a better place. This has lead to Experienced UK self employed and PAYE carers, that are fully qualified with DBS,  have had a battle to find work for 18 months, struggling to find good agencies, and private families

Agencies not regulated by CQC.

Which is is breach of the regulations if their employee carries out personal care.

As "personal care"  is a regulated service

Which not every agency can offer if they're NOT CQC registered.

Introduction Agencies not being regulated by CQC, will register a self employed carer to care for a client (as self employed) so you pay the tax etc.  Then tell you the careplan folder is there for you to read and to log everything you do on a care APP, theyre monitoring you and the personal care. This is ONGOING care from the agency, and means that the SELF EMPLOYED carer is actually an EMPLOYEE of the agency.

There are some GOOD agencies regulated by the CQC like THE GOOD CARE GROUP,  BY Your SIDE, Miracle Workers, RADFIELD Home Care and a few more,

 Agencies to AVAOID are the ones still advertising extremely low wages on facebook and collecting carers details, but have ZERO WORK...these are in tens of thousands now. 

Some Agencies have been collecting data...only give work to COS

Asking for carers CVs, multiple documents, references and certificates and collect our personal details. Then say they have no work, and are looking for clients. Some hold onto our personal data for years Yet dont give local uk  carers work. 

Why are agencies not using local Existing experienced,  highly qualified carers for the clients best interests, and best care ? 

Agencies are Charging families of clients, a high weekly price of around £1600- £2600 per week for complex care, theyre stating its 24/7 care!. 

Profiting greatly from clients and Vulnerable Adults theyre meant to protect.

BEWARE of recruitment/ unregistered AGENCIES, specifically on facebook, charging carers £180 per clients/assignment...

This is exploitation.

AGENCIES that offer LOW rate/pay

This not only undermines our skills and training  or efforts in running professional self employed businesses to help the NHS and plug the gap for elderly care, but is a total insult to offer an experienced, qualified self employed or employed live in carer less than minimum wage or under £800 per week for the hours we are on call, working shifts, unsocialble hours, with weekends and nights classed as the same as a working day, live in carers work  85- 154 hours per week... 

Live in carers are NOT paid for the 100 hours of work we are on call.

 We are NOT even paid NMW for the 12-14 hour shifts per day it normally is.

Meanwhile, incorrect assessments and false careplans are a very common occurrence, meaning they greatly  UNDERESTIMATE the LEVEL of care needed and risk assessment, meaning they can pay the LIC less.

LEVEL 1- Companionship Only no PC

LEVEL 2- Personal Care & assist + L1

LEVEL 3- Multiple needs, PC +L1+L2

LEVEL 4-  Complex Care, +L1 - L3

Around 40% of agency and private live in carers are not given the basic essential needs of a ADULT human being working in the UK Whilst in a placement. Not provided with enough food, or hot water to shower or forced to sleep, in a cold caravan outside, and in damp corridors.

I was horrified to learn that some experienced senior carers where working 14 hour days for just £70 and expected to live on £3 per day food....

at least being paid above NMW hourly rate would make our work worthwhile and soften the blows.

YES It is time for change...

TRAINING

The care industry is suffering, quality of care has dropped with POORLY TRAINED carers. Some Agencies offer a free 2 day INDUCTION TRAINING, whilst some do training 10am-4pm,  videos, questionnaire and manual handling then off you go to look after someone with severe dementia, stroke, COPD, and a heart condition. Whilst other companies charge the carer hundreds of pounds for training or accomodation whilst training

STATING 24/7 CARE

Agencies should NOT state it is 24/7 care without providing cover for live in carer BREAKS and waking night support !  One carer should not be working on call 24/7 or waking nights ONCALL for FREE!. it is NOT safe practice, especially those carer expected to drive clients daily in their own cars, with LACK OF SLEEEP. Impossible to work 12 hour shifts with 2-4  night calls, due to carer exhaustion and burn out. For carers safety and mental health this needs to change ASAP.  It should be illegal for these companies to collect and hold our carers data to gain government funding or training grants, without giving us work.

QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS

With total disregard, for our self employed and PAYE experience, qualifications and skills, we are still classed as UNSKILLED WORKERS, yet we are senior carers with level 3+, who have to go through CPD, yearly mandatory training plus also carrying out other combined skilled roles such as nurses, HCAs, chefs, physiotherapists, councillors, mental health workers, security, OT,  house keeping, dermatologists, hair dressers therapists, pet care, friends, companions, massage therapists, cleaners, laundry assistants, chauffeurs, family liason's, accountants, receptionists, personal shopper's, tech and IT expert's and guidance and chaperones.

Yet we are the Bottom of the chain, and totally disrespecting all the vigorous extensive yearly mandatory training, RQF diplomas, degrees,  NVQs,  DBS checks, nursing qualification's, mental health qualification's and insurances, policies and procedure's we all have to uphold, but it also threaten's to compromise quality care for those who need it most by not recognising our skills and paying younger less experienced new starters the same wages.

All these changes I propose below,  to issues above will solve the problem, help the NHS lower the cost of care.

We call upon relevant authorities to stop this exploitation and increase daily rates for live-in carers to either receive the correct NMW for a contracted 12 hours per day or daily rate

or GUARANTEE a minimum daily rate of £130 per day for

LEVEL 1 companionship only care. 

Rising with each LEVEL of care to complex level 4.

We suggest all agencies re-evaluate the statement of "24/7 CARE" when LIC breaks are not given or covered.

Moreover, we urge agencies to prioritize USING existing UK carers, especially those experienced and highly qualified OVER those new untrained with sponsorship visas.

Help to further Regulate and level our qualified skills and experience into levels for increased pay to reward highly experienced qualified carers and ex nurses. This will help protect UK professional carers and  businesses to maintain an excellent level of support the NHS and maintain high standards of care within our industry. 

Join us in standing up for A BIG CHANGE in the way we provide LIVE IN CARE in the UK !

Please sign this petition today!