Thread by @sophiedennis

1/7 Reviewing my father’s care and support plan. I defy anyone to read it and conclude the work his carers do is “unskilled”.

How is it unskilled when it requires:

2/7 Formal training in:
- home oxygen
- basic life support and choking
- manual handing (rehab background useful)
- medication management

These are things his carers are expected to have attended a proper training course on.

3/7 let’s have a look at all the other things they are required to do which clearly need a ton of skill and experience:

- manage incontinence and catheter, monitor for signs of infection.
- monitor skin and pressure areas for skin breakdown
- Escalate concerns to district nurse

4/7 there’s more:
- daily physio therapy exercises
- anticipate all daily care needs (because he can’t anticipate or communicate his needs himself)
- Protect from harm, neglect and heath deterioration
- monitor and manage challenging behaviour

5/7 we have trouble getting carers because of the level of skill and experience this involves. You can’t walk in off the street and pick it up in a few days. His carers have years and years of experience. They need nursing skills.

6/7 he needs 24h live in care. But don’t get me started on the pittance the government and local council think these skills are worth: £500 a week.

We can’t get carers with this level of skill for that. We are incredibly fortunate to be able to pay more so he gets good care.

7/7 I know I’m hardly the first to point out that the government don’t mean “unskilled”. They mean “low paid”.

It just makes me mad. And I thought documenting the skills needed was worthwhile.

8/7 “medication management “ btw includes not just giving him the meds he’s prescribed, but also “monitor for side effects and therapeutic effect”. Effectively make a professional judgement as whether his meds are working correctly .

9/7 (lol sorry). The other thing they really mean by “skilled” is “holding academic qualifications”. The stuff you can teach in colleges and universities.

I know great carers who’ve left the profession because they aren’t “exam” people but now need an NVQ to do care work...