The shortage of care workers in England now is greater than it was pre-pandemic, according to national charity, Skills for Care. Care providers everywhere are struggling to find enough staff. Many are turning down new requests for help, and juggling rotas and home visits while doing the best they can to care for vulnerable clients.
In Devon, around 2,000 additional care workers are needed to fill growing numbers of vacancies, and demand for care is rising. People needing care are finding it very difficult to source; and people already getting help are seeing changes to their visits while their care providers respond to higher demand without having the staff numbers they need. But it’s not just social care.
“There are more people in Devon today who quite simply need help, than there are people to provide it,” said our Cabinet Member responsible for adult care and health, Cllr James McInnes.
“I’m talking about help with shopping, picking up prescriptions, preparing a meal, or company because they’re lonely.”
If you have experience of caring for someone and are keen to work in the care sector, we want to hear from you. There’s one to one support to help you, and free training. If you can be a Personal Assistant, we can help with advice and guidance. If you have time to volunteer to help people in your local community, we can help put you in touch.