Monday 03 08 2020
A major new study is calling on social care workers to share their experiences of working on the frontline during the coronavirus pandemic in a bid to shape the future of the sector in Scotland.
Researchers are looking to speak with frontline care workers in strictest confidence, so their experiences can fully influence the study’s findings.
The study, funded through a British Academy grant for rapid research relating to COVID-19, is being undertaken by academics at University of the West of Scotland (UWS) in partnership with Oxfam. The research team – led by social scientists Dr Hartwig Pautz and Dr Stephen Gibb – are looking to interview frontline social care workers, from both care homes and at-home care arrangements, to find out more about the challenges and successes they have experienced during the pandemic.
Proposed reform
The interviews will then be used to form a report which will feed back to policy makers and the public and inform proposed reform of Scotland’s social care sector.
Dr Gibb said: “For all the widely covered challenges which the social care workforce has faced during the coronavirus pandemic, there are also opportunities for change. Change to more integrated health and social care can only deliver better quality of the workforce has more ‘decent work’.
“We are hearing that many workers in the sector felt abandoned throughout the pandemic, as elderly care was not appreciated to be a priority. On the other hand, we’re also hearing that the pandemic has brought local managers, workers and residents in care homes closer together. To influence policy and plans for Scotland’s social care sector going forward, we need to hear the whole story from the front line.”Dr Stephen Gibb
Impact
The UWS study is centred around the concept of ‘decent work’ – opportunities for employment that are productive and deliver a fair income, job security and social protection and prospects for personal development, and how the quality of work impacts on outcomes in social care facilities.
Scotland is home to 176,000 social care workers, accounting for 7% of the workforce – yet delivering ‘decent work’ has long been associated with chronic issues.
Social care work is often poorly paid, frequently part-time or on the basis of zero-hours contracts and can involve unpaid overtime or unpaid training. The pandemic has increased recognition of the fact that social care workers are undervalued and under-recognised, that care institutions have received too little investment, and that care workers have insufficient voice in policy debates about job quality.
The British Academy grant – which was awarded to only 6.6% of more than 800 applicants – will be used to facilitate interviews over the phone and online throughout the month of August.
Change
Dr Gibb added: “The coronavirus pandemic has emphasised many of the long-standing issues which the social care sector faces, and also presented more – and care providers know that things need to change.
“Now is the time to progress beyond the long-established problems such as low pay, lack of career prospects and stressful work, as the biggest stakeholders seek a way forward that creates the best possible outcomes for both those working in the sector and those being cared for.”
Individuals who are keen to share their experience can do so by contacting Joan.Riddell@uws.ac.uk or by visiting the project website.