care workers

CWC responds to the CQC State of Care Report

The Care Workers’ Charity Responds to CQC State of Care Report. The Care Workers’ Charity welcomes the considerations and suggestions of the Care Quality Commission’s ‘State of Care’ report released earlier today. The report highlights several of the devastating challenges faced by the sector and its workforce over the past year, and those that will …

PCWW 2020

In the first week of September 2020, the social care sector gathered for Professional Care Workers’ Week. It has been a challenging year for the sector, and yet everyone whom participated in the week showed optimism and shared key insights into their specialisms.

Person Centred Software Announces New Charity of the Year Partner

Person Centred Software reveals recent philanthropic efforts with nearly £20,000 donated to good causes in the last 12 months

One of the UK’s leading providers of digital care systems to the social care sector has revealed the results of its recent philanthropic efforts, having donated nearly £20,000 to good causes it cares about in the last 12 months.

An organisation that cares deeply about people and improving the lives of those working in and receiving care, Person Centred Software has chosen to support 3 charities that share these values including the Sporting Memories Foundation, the Care Workers Charity and Adopt a Grandparent.

Chosen as Person Centred Software’s Charity of the Year for 2019/2020, The Sporting Memories Foundation has been receiving fundraising support since June 2019 with this set to continue until October 2020.

The charity, which tackles dementia, depression and loneliness through the power of sports reminiscence, offers community-led intergenerational groups for members to talk about their sporting memories. The organisation has also developed a Sporting Memories Package for care homes. This includes sets of photographic Replay Cards on themed sports to aid reminiscence conversations, as well as an app for recording sports reminiscence to support activities coordinators.

With The Sporting Memories Foundation forced to temporarily suspend all in-person Clubs and meetings in light of COVID-19, the charity has been able to use the generous donation received from Person Centred Software to help facilitate conversations remotely, enabling them to continue supporting the community during this difficult time.

Kelly Hart, Funding Manager at The Sporting Memories Foundation said: “We have been working hard to provide resources and inspiration to enable everyone, no matter where they are, to talk about sport with someone they know – including over the telephone or online; whether that person is a neighbour or relative, living at home or in a care setting.

We have also been working hard to bring together Club participants online, wherever they are based. Bringing the structured one-to-one reminiscence, fun and companionship online, and providing guidance and training to support partners and volunteers in this.

The generous donation from Person Centred Software will be a wonderful contribution to our work in the face of COVID-19 and as we look to both the resumption of Sporting Memories Clubs and further innovation. It will help us to reach out further to older people who are living with dementia, loneliness or low mood. We thank everyone involved for their generosity and look forward to sharing news of further developments.”

Taking over as Person Centred Software’s chosen Charity of the Year for 2020/2021 will be The Care Workers Charity, which was founded in 2009 with the objective of supporting current and former care workers with one-off crisis grants.

The Care Workers Charity’s vision is that no care worker will ever face financial hardship alone. They give grants to anyone working in care who is struggling financially through the ‘Rainy Day Fund for Everyday Heroes’. For people working in a sector where the work is demanding, looking after some of the most vulnerable people, The Care Workers Charity looks after them when they need it.

Emily Barnett, Partnership and Events Manager for the Care Workers Charity said: “We are pleased that Person Centred Software have chosen the Care Workers Charity as their Charity of the Year.

We both share the values which centre around improving the lives of those involved in social care. The Care Workers Charity focuses on supporting care professionals and Person Centred Software champions the sector with its use of innovative technology.

Throughout the year we will collaborate to increase the reach of the charity and funds raised from Person Centred Software will go towards improving our contribution to social care”.

On top of their partnerships with the Sporting Memories Foundation and the Care Workers Charity, Person Centred Software has this year thrown its support behind a digital Adopt a Grandparent initiative, which combats loneliness across care homes.

Devised by care home group CHD Living, the initiative matches volunteers with care home residents based on shared interests, and encourages them to regularly communicate by video call to form meaningful friendships.

Following a surge of interest in the initiative, which saw 80,000 people sign up during lockdown, Adopt a Grandparent has been fundraising to develop an app designed to speed up the pairing process and to facilitate safe discussion between participants.

Appreciating the sentiment behind the campaign and fully appreciating the positive impact that it has had on the lives of residents and volunteers alike, Person Centred Software kickstarted Adopt a Grandparent’s fundraising with an initial donation of five thousand pounds.

Co-founder and Director Jonathan Papworth explains: “At Person Centred Software, we feel it’s our corporate responsibility to give back wherever we can. The charities that we have chosen to support this year all have people at their heart, so they felt a natural fit for us to work with. We are delighted to be helping them in raising awareness and funds for their individual causes and we look forward to seeing them achieving their goals”

The Care Workers’ Charity: Response To ‘Care Quality Commision: State Of Care’ Report

THE CARE WORKERS’ CHARITY: RESPONSE TO ‘CARE QUALITY COMMISION: STATE OF CARE’ REPORT

 

The Care Workers’ Charity welcomes the considerations and suggestions of the Care Quality Commission’s ‘State of Care’ report released earlier today.

The report provides an important overview of the impact that Covid-19 has had on a broad range of health and social care settings; both on those who receive services, and those who work in these sectors. However, we find it disappointing that more thought was not given to supporting the social care workforce in their cited recommendations.

At the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, The Care Workers’ Charity raised around £2m for our Covid-19 Emergency Fund. The existence of this grants stream has only been necessary because care workers who have had to shield and or/self isolate are struggling to survive on the statutory sick pay they receive. Due to unprecedented demand, this staggering amount of money has lasted for just 6 months. The need that we at The Care Workers’ Charity have met through this grant (benefiting 2,300 care workers) is a drop in the ocean compared to the huge number of those in crisis.

We therefore call on the government to ensure that care and support workers receive full pay throughout the pandemic, regardless of whether they are isolating or not. The infection control funding is not enough, and doesn’t support every care worker to meet their financial needs. This is not good enough- no one should be forced into financial crisis in this way- least of all, key workers on the frontline of this devastating and terrifying pandemic.

Care workers across the country are putting their lives at risk, and on hold, in order to care for others. They do this whilst experiencing stress and trauma as they try to cope with a ‘new normal’. It is already clear that increased incidences of insomnia, depression, anxiety and PTSD among the social care workforce are now commonplace- as they continue to lose colleagues, family members, loved ones and those they are caring for to this horrendous disease. They have, and continue to, sacrifice so much in their roles-not enough is being done to support them in return.

The Care Workers’ Charity calls on the Care Quality Commission to report comprehensively on the wellbeing of the social care workforce in their reporting and actions- as it is indisputable that this is an issue that directly affects quality of care. We cannot expect care workers to deliver care of the highest quality, if they are not treated with dignity and respect themselves.

As noted in ‘State of Care’, the pandemic represents a point of pivotal change and reflection- we can and must do better by our social care workforce.

Skills for Care takes on ‘STEPtember’

Skills for Care takes on ‘STEPtember’

The incredible team at Skills for Care spent the month of September getting active for The Care Workers’ Charity. The aim was to have members took part in walking, running or cycling 2,800 miles- which is equivalent to the length of the England Coastal Path.

However, they have absolutely smashed this, and to date have covered 4,452 miles- a whole 1,652 more than they set out to achieve!

In taking on the STEPtember challenge, Skills for Care have so far raised an incredible £1,608 for us at The Care Workers’ Charity- which will go towards supporting our social care heroes.

A massive thank you, and well done to all those involved!!

If you still want to support this incredible team, please click here.

Writing Competition 2020

At The Care Workers’ Charity it is important to us that we share stories from within our community. Our annual writing competition gives the platform to you, our social care workforce, to share your experiences.