The Care Worker’s Charity have supported the COVID-19 vaccination programme from the beginning. We appreciate being in a position where vaccines are readily and freely available to protect us from viruses such as COVID-19.
Since July last year the social care workforce has been singled out as the one area of society who have had their choice removed despite much push back from the sector with valid and understandable reason with approx. 30,000 staff leaving the sector as a result. This has resulted in so many wonderful care staff leaving an already struggling sector and adding to an already devastating recruitment and retention issue.
We welcome the change in thoughts of the government re the mandate, but we are saddened that the damage for the social care sector has already been done. If the social care sector was valued and recognised in the same manner, it’s counterpart in the health service was this chaos could have been avoided at a much earlier stage preventing the loss of valuable staff and high stress levels in the sector which also in turn effects those who receive care.