This week's Have your say discussion is about the rights of older people, and we are asking if older people's basic rights are being denied by poor services and choices. We also asked if it was realistic to expect local authorities to be able to offer a wide range of residential care?
Have your say by clicking here - your responses will appear in this section of the website on 28 June.
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In last week's Have your say debate we asked for suggestions on the best ways to tackle the social worker recruitment crisis in London. The discussion forms part of Community Care's Care in the Capital week designed to highlight the problem of staff shortages in London.
These are the responses we received:
"This may seem a little obvious, and no doubt I won't be alone in saying this, but how about a 'living wage'?
If I want to live in a studio flat with my partner then yes I can manage.
Otherwise...."
Neil Cooper
Care Manager
Westminster Social & Community Services
St Mary's Hospital
"Having worked in the care field for 12 years I feel I have a great deal of knowledge and support to offer, backed up with a range of excellent references from both employed posts and voluntary. As I began to climb the ladder I soon realised I could only get where I wanted to go if I was qualified.
I approached my last employer to put forward a proposal that would enable me to gain my DipSW only to be told without negotiation no chance. There was a reluctance to invest (even though I did not expect them to pay the full amount), and I was happy with the organisation and wished only to widen my options within it. This was alarming as I had seen many staff come and go during my employment time with them, many of whom had attended expensive one day course here and there. This prompted me to seek another position with an organisation which has supported me in gaining my DipSW.
The reason for this e-mail is prompted by discussions I have had with other part time students on my course. Many had experienced the same problems as I had, watching staff come and go, no support for their own career development, having to go part-time so they can study, negotiating their annual leave time so they can be realised to college etc etc.
Many people go into the care profession to support and enable others, which is very difficult when progression professionally is refused. It is demoralising and frustrating to find yourself treading water in your career.
I know the subject for discussion is attracting staff which is difficult enough bearing in mind the poor pay, long hours and huge responsibility, but not enabling people to be the most effective professional they can isn't a good advert either. In house, one day courses are not enough to assist an individual who perhaps has just undertaken a dramatic career change.
Having begun my DipSW I have now realised that for a long time I was driven by passion and commitment to my client group, and was relentless in my pursuit for best outcomes for them. Now upon refection I have realised how much more confident and informed I feel as I am now thinking outside my day-to-day in house bubble.
Coming from a climate of staff shortages it is painful to see new staff come along and be expected to hit the ground running. I feel if substantive training packages were offered that would benefit both employers and employees ultimately it would only benefit our respective client groups as well .
Advertising is expensive and so are the costs regarding interviewing etc etc. The best way of attracting staff is by the words of their employees. That's how I found my current job and thankfully they have lived up to all expectations."
Anonymous
