Professional Carers

Professional carers arguably have one of the most challenging and full-time jobs available to anyone. There are very few people with such levels of dedication to their work, as well as compassion, empathy and patience, and as such it can be said that it takes a specific kind of person to become a successful carer. It used to be the case that carers were employed by local authorities, but many are now employed by private agencies, which can have a negative effect on several factors relating to caring.

One of these factors is the pay. Often agency carers are only paid for the time they spend at the home of the person they are looking after, and the journey there and back is not taken into account. This can be problematic if a carer lives a relatively large distance away, or if the journey is particularly difficult. Another factor is the hours they get to work. Often an individual’s care needs fluctuate depending on their health and state of mind, and when the carer is not needed at that time then they will not be paid, unless more work can be found for them in the meantime.

In addition, one of the serious negative points is that carers are often poorly paid for ‘sleepovers’ or ‘wakeovers’, as neither pays the statutory minimum hourly rate. At times, staying over at the person’s house is unavoidable if they are in a certain condition, so these should pay just as much as care during the day.