Carer crisis as call for staff in Nottingham soars

NOTTS is facing a major shortage of care workers to look after elderly and vulnerable people.

The number of vacancies for carers has almost doubled in the county in the last year, with 539 posts available in job centres last month – compared to 232 in April 2011.

And fears have been raised that it has become a job that no one wants to do – despite the fact there are thousands of people out of work in the county.

David Kirkham, of the Nottinghamshire City and County Employment and Skills Board, said: “There seems to be a view of care work being unpleasant in nature. People don’t fancy the thought of having to help an old person in the bath.”

Only 120 people who registered with Jobcentre Plus last month said they would be prepared to work as a carer. There were 900 looking for retail jobs.

Mandy Leverton, who owns Underwood firm First Class Care has been advertising four posts since March.

She said: “It is a concern. It has a big impact on what we can do. It is proving very difficult to recruit carers, which has an effect on the people we care for.”

Business information firm Experian has predicted a huge rise in the number of people needed to work as a carer, as it estimates an extra 18,000 jobs will be needed in the sector in the next decade.