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Working in the professional care field may be perfect for you and your family. Many professional care workers are working to support their families, and this job can be the ideal balance when managing family life and work. However, some carers still seem to be relying on the help of quick loans. In this article, we have researched the job of a professional carer, the salary and the reason why so many care workers resort to payday loans.
How to Become a Carer
To become a carer, you do not need any formal qualifications. However, there are courses, including college courses which will provide you with the skills you need to be a successful carer for the elderly. When applying to become a carer, employers may ask for a related qualification, for example, a BTEC or NVQ in Health and Social Care.
Before being employed as a professional carer, workers undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service check. Also, specific training certificates are mandatory. Some of these include Health and Safety including Fire Safety, Moving and Handling and Food Safety and Hygiene. However, the certificates must be passed depending on which type of care is provided; some must be taken annually while others are every 2/3 years.
Analysing the Care Industry in the UK
The Care Industry is estimated to employ 1.4 million people in the UK. Between 2004-2010, the number of domiciliary care agencies increased by a third at the same time as there was a 10% fall in residential care services. It would seem to make financial sense in that home care visits would cost on average £370 per week (for ten visits) while a week’s stay in a residential nursing home would cost £995 a week. Also, from a psychological point of view, it is better for patients to be discharged into their own homes to recuperate and convalesce with the help of visiting health professionals and care workers. This system also allows groups like the blind to remain independent but receive support if necessary.
Care Workers and Zero Hours Contracts
Some employers are making increasing use of zero hours contracts to hire staff. The Office of National Statistics said that it had risen 21% from June 2015 to June 2016 in general, while during 2008-2012, 55.7% of domiciliary care workers were on such contracts. They offer a flexible workforce without the cost of agency fees and allow them to cover temporary staff shortages. Although the professional carer is entitled to annual leave, rest breaks and the NMW/NLW, they do not have the right to redundancy, a statutory minimum notice period while sick pay is not always included.
| Carers Allowance | |
|---|---|
| How Much is Carers Allowance? | You can get £76.75 a week (2023/24) if you care for someone on certain benefits for a minimum of 35 hours a week. |
| How to Claim Carers Allowance | You can claim for carers allowance online, via gov.uk. You can also claim via calling the Carer’s Allowance Unit on 0800 731 0297. |
| How You are Paid Carers Allowance | You can choose to receive the money every week in advance or every 4 weeks. The money will be paid into your bank account. |
Loans for Professional Carers
Professional care workers tend to be unskilled employees and/or women returning to the workforce after having children. On an average salary of £15,000 per year, their accommodation could take up to two-thirds of their salary. Those with children would also have to budget for childcare. This would be tough to arrange if they are on a zero-hours contract, especially if they are not guaranteed regular wages or are penalised for refusing work at short notice.
Commuting by public transport continues to increase while those who need a car to visit different clients over the course of a working day have other difficulties. If they are not paid the standard mileage allowance for petrol, then this money must come out of their pocket. Being a car owner, they incur other expenses such as car maintenance, repairs if something goes wrong, insurance, and the MOT.
Many are unable to put money aside for unexpected expenses and, on their salary, are not likely to be offered much in the way of overdraft or credit facilities by the bank. As a result, many turn to low interest short term loans to cope with the shortfall in their salaries.
Finally, salaries for professional care workers have remained static over the past few years, so, with increases in the costs of living, they have effectively seen a drop in the value of their earnings.
The Future of Professional Care Workers
The number of people over 65 in the UK has increased by 47% since 1974, making up nearly 18% of the population. In 2015, the Office of National Statistics predicted that the number of over 75s in the UK will reach almost 10 million in 2039 and 1 in 12 will be over 80. These statistics of an ageing population show how many more professional care workers will be needed in the future to assist these and other vulnerable members of society.
Although the demand for their profession is there, it is not sure that their contribution will be rewarded with a better salary and better treatment in terms of working conditions and working practices. Already, there are worries that the country cannot afford the costs of an ageing population.
It would seem that unless there is an increase in salaries for professional care workers, direct lender payday loans online for professional carers will continue to be a necessity for the foreseeable future.