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Residential care assistant, Durham social services

"I have worked as a care assistant for 16 years in homes for the elderly. My job entails attending to the physical, therapeutic and personal needs of the residents in a home for older people under supervision of the appropriate supervisory officer. I would contribute to the social activities and the mental stimulation of the residents. I would assist with the personal dressing, washing, bathing, toilet and personal needs of the residents. Bed making, mending linen and clothing for residents is included in my duties, as is cleaning wardrobes and cupboards for the residents periodically. I also have to change clothing and sluice clothing for incontinent residents. I monitor continence, cleanliness, clothing, storing of medicines by residents and the storage of flammable materials. I would administer drugs to residents in certain circumstances. I help with the serving and distribution of meals and clearing away after meals. This includes the monitoring of food intake and eating habits of residents. I have to be aware of the health and safety at work and fire prevention policies.

I am paid £5.51 per hour.

I started work through a Youth Training Scheme (YTS) in the 1980s.

Although I have always had a part-time contract in reality I have always worked 37 hours per week covering for vacant posts. For the past two years I have also “acted up” as an assistant manager to cover holidays etc.

I have two children at primary school. Two years ago my marriage ended and I became the single provider for my children as I received no maintenance from their father. This meant that I had to re-evaluate my life in terms of providing for my children and my career. I am now in the benefit trap that means that I have to work over 16 hours per week, but the more hours that I work the more it will affect my family tax credit, which means that effectively my career is on hold.

The satisfaction that I get from my job is that I enjoy working with my client group and my colleagues. Because of my job I enjoy benefits such as sick pay and access to a pension scheme.

The downside to my job is in terms of balancing work and family commitments especially the unsocial hours. For example, if I am starting my shift at 7am I have to take my children to my mother for 6.30am; if I am on a late shift I do not collect them from my mother’s until 10.15 pm when they are usually asleep on her couch, and then I have to take them home to their own beds, which often means that they have to be woken up. The reason that I work the unsociable hours is that for doing so I receive enhanced payment which improves my financial earnings."