Member Article

Home care provider launches national recruitment drive in region

A firm of care experts is appealing for more carers to join or return to the profession following the result of the General Election.

Heritage Healthcare’s #DoSomethingAmazing campaign has kicked off in the North East, inspired by The Health Foundation’s recent appeal to the new Conservative Government to prioritise investment into the health and care workforce.

The organisation, which has devised the campaign to celebrate the vocational aspect of working in health and social care, explained that uncertainty around Brexit, combined with low pay within the sector, has resulted in a nine per cent reduction in the numbers of social care workers, and the shortfall is predicted to rise to 400,000 by 2028.

Glenn Pickersgill, CEO of Heritage Healthcare, said: “Following last week’s election, we now have some certainty around Brexit and hopefully the fact we have a clear parliamentary majority will give the country the beginnings of some stability. It’s therefore the ideal time to launch our campaign, which is a celebration because being a carer is more than just a job.

“Care workers and healthcare assistants take great pride, not only in the fact they are giving something back to their clients when they need it most, but also to their local communities by helping people to live independently for as long as they can, which reduces the burden on the NHS and other social services. It’s a hugely rewarding career.”

The home care specialists operate throughout England and Wales from 23 offices, offering a range of services, including help with household and domestic chores, personal care and companionship.

He’s hoping to find four new healthcare assistants to work from the group’s North East base in Middlesbrough ahead of the campaign going national in February 2020. Full training is to be provided and the roles have competitive rates of pay and flexible hours.

He added: “As life expectancy increases, the need for care will increase also, so while there is a great need for social care now, this will be the case even more into the future.

“In recent years, our work has been underfunded by local authorities, so many more people are choosing to stay in their own homes with additional support provided by professional organisations. The familiar environment and maintenance of their privacy can help individuals feel more comfortable and experience a greater quality of life than some of the alternatives open to them.

“It’s also less expensive than moving into residential care, and hugely valued by clients and their families alike, for whom our team members can often be the missing piece.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Harvey & Hugo .