Working in social care? Chance to win £10
Calling anyone working in social care!
We are carrying out a study to find out more about the 1.7 million people who work in social care with people aged 18 and over. Currently, we don't know enough about why people like you do this vital work. What do you enjoy or not enjoy about your work? Where did you work before? What are your future plans? How do you balance your work with family and other responsibilities?
This study is being carried out by the Social Care Workforce Research Unit, which is part of King's College London. (You can read more here: www.kcl.ac.uk/scwru/res/capacity/locs.aspx)
All your answers are completely confidential. If you complete the survey you will be entered into a prize draw, with 100 chances to win a £10 voucher.
To fill in the survey go to:- www.surveymonkey.com/r/locs
Or email [log in to view email address] if you have got any questions about the survey.
Your views are incredibly important to us and we hope you will find the time to help with this study, which is funded by the Department of Health. Findings from this study will be reported back to the Department of Health.
Thank you.
Wow! so many questions!
I used to be a bank manager. Now apparently, the bar has been raised, and
I'm at the stage of my life where I don't compete with red tape like that
anymore. I used to run an office of 66, balance books, deal with complaints
and queries, and work from 6.00am till 21.00pm everyday, including
Saturdays. I only got 3 weeks leave per year. Over here, I'm not good
enough.
Whilst being a bank manager, I adopted 9 kids in social welfare, was single,
and opened a charity for abused children. I arranged camps for 200 kids
every April for 9 years. If I felt vulnerable kids were being abused, I had
an open line with the police, social workers, the Child Abuse Action Group
and the Legal system.
Many of the children are all grown up and married today, and I still keep in
contact with them.
Here in the UK things are very different. I couldn't do banking or go into
children, as your legal system is very different to mine. I chose working
with the elderly, as it protected me. I go to work now and love chatting to
older folk about the war, 1940's. 1950's etc. They still have a spirit in
them, it just needs a revival. I am now the deputy manager at a Home, doing
the finances, doing the audits, everything I used to do at the bank. I'm
strict about time management, dress code, policies and procedures and
upholding the law.
The future is something I just think about on a day to day basis. One never
knows what tomorrow can bring. I've always loved management, working with
numbers, but in social care that doesn't open many doors.
I love to teach, so maybe one day I could think of teaching what I have
learnt to others. I also see a serious lack of English language and
mathematics in social care. Fluid calculations, tablet counting, just
basics. Writing up the Daily reports or just general letters is on a very
low standard, so my guess is many carers dropped out of school and then went
into care due to their personal experiences. Some carers need counselling
themselves, as I have seen aggression, loneliness, and abandonment.
Just my thoughts......................