Front line care workers too often feel undervalued, new report

By The Press Association3rd February 2016News ScotlandCare Standards, Glasgow / Lanarkshire, News Scotland, Social Care, Workforce

Front line care workers are all too often “undervalued, unappreciated and overlooked,” a new report has found.

The document, called Voices From The Front Line, has been published today by Scottish Care, the representative body for independent social care services.

The 32-page report highlights 40 case studies in which workers give their views on what it means to care, as well as outlining what good care can bring to those who need support.

The report concluded: “The interviews identified a level of care and commitment within the social care workforce which was nothing short of inspirational. It reinforced the fact that providing care to the most vulnerable citizens of Scotland is not just a job; it’s a vocation.

“However, the study has also identified a significant level of fragility within the front line workforce. It has served to underline real concerns that a workforce providing some of the most personal and crucial services is sadly all too often undervalued, unappreciated and overlooked.

“Too little pay, too much paperwork, too little time and poor public support were just some of the ‘detracting factors’ for a significant number of people interviewed.

“Whilst there may not be a simplistic single solution to the complex and multi-faceted challenges facing the sector, there are things that can be done which involve listening to what the front line workforce has told us about the positives of their role, making these the dominant aspects of the job and working hard to diminish the factors that detract so much from the core purpose of the role.”

The report’s launch coincides with a Scottish Care event in Glasgow today, which concentrates on the role of front line care staff. It will be addressed by Children and Families Minister Aileen Campbell.

Scottish Care chief executive, Ranald Mair, said the aim of the event is to ensure the staff at the sharp end are heard by those who might otherwise make policy and resource decisions without a proper understanding of what the tasks of caring and providing support actually entail.

He said: “We want you to hear the authentic voices of those who are the most important assets in any care organisation – the people – those who day in, day out do the hard, challenging, rewarding and enriching work of caring for others.”