Care staff deserve better recognition, boss says

The Welsh government says it has increased funding to local authorities by 3.3% to help with costs of meeting real living wage for care workers

The care sector is facing what has been described as a crisis in recruitment and retention of staff, although one help group seems to be bucking that trend.

Antur Waunfawr has provided employment and training opportunities for people with learning disabilities in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, for 40 years.

It has been presented with a national award for "looking after and improving the well-being of their staff" by Social Care Wales.

Its employee health and welfare scheme seems to be paying dividends, with average staff turnover at 5%, compared to 30% in the adult care sector nationally.

"Looking after our staff is essential, and recognising them as a person," said Antur Waunfawr chief executive Ellen Thirsk.

"If people feel they are not being valued, it ends up with them looking for jobs elsewhere."

She said that the work they do to help staff was important but that there were a number of changes that could be made to tackle the problem of recruitment and retention more widely, including equal recognition with the health service, and an increase in pay.

"I know that the Welsh government have pushed for the real living wage, but that still doesn't compete with a lot of employers," she said.

"Our staff provide a significant essential service - it's not just about support, we have a lot of staff that have done dementia care, end of life care.

"The care they provide is more intense, more essential and ensures that people stay in their home, and they're not in hospitals."

The Welsh government said it had increased funding to local authorities by 3.3% to help with costs of meeting real living wage for care workers.

Cara Evans started volunteering with the organisation and has since become a health and well-being manager

'Compassion and empathy'

Antur Waunfawr's 100-strong staff, like senior support worker Kim Roberts, are encouraged to follow a career path that benefits them financially while improving their knowledge and qualifications, but she said care staff needed a special set of skills.

"You need to have compassion and empathy," she said.

"I think having the qualities to work with somebody with a learning disability - you need to have a lot of patience.

"You're in their home. You're coming into their life."

Cara Evans started volunteering with the organisation as a teenager and has become a health and well-being manager after taking qualifications while on the job.

"Since I started here when I was 17 years old I've managed to buy my own house and just grow as a person," she added.

Ensuring the right staff support is crucial to retaining workers, and Antur Waunfawr has been working with Bangor University to develop a mindfulness and well-being app, called Chilltastic.

It is now being used to enhance the well-being of users across health and social care settings.

Dr Ceryl Teleri Davies, a lecturer in health sciences, said: "We need to look at supporting the needs of the workforce, listening to what they need and providing alternative means of intervention which support both the workforce and also citizens accessing services and also looking at low cost options like an app, for example."

The Welsh government said it was supporting more than 2,500 apprentices in 2023/24 through its paid health and social care apprenticeship scheme.

"Despite an incredibly tough financial situation, we're increasing funding to local authorities by 3.3% to help towards meeting the ongoing costs of the real living wage for care workers.

"We also remain committed to improving outcomes for older people through early intervention and integrated care in the community, with more than £145m provided to local authorities, health boards and third sector organisations."