Care workers hide uniforms after being spat at and called 'carriers of death'

Care workers are being spat at, sent death threats and labelled ‘carriers of death’, forcing some to hide their uniforms from the public during the coronavirus pandemic.

Rather than claps of gratitude, some care workers are now afraid to wear their uniforms after being targeted for abuse by the general public.

’Killer’ note left on care worker’s car

A care worker for Crescent Community Care had been assisting a vulnerable person in their Portsmouth home, when a note was put on her car’s windscreen.

The scrawled one-word note left on the care worker’s car read ‘KILLER’.

Marcus Kerridge-McColl, director of Crescent Community Care told homecare.co.uk his staff have been targeted in eight separate incidents in the last 10 days.

On Tuesday 7 April, a Crescent Community Care worker was walking down the street in her uniform when a man in a passing vehicle shouted at her "f**king retard". Mr Kerridge-McColl said another care worker was abused while shopping in a Tesco supermarket for a home care client. A customer began shouting at her: “Get away from me.”

Staff told to hide uniforms in public

Mr Kerridge-McColl, who has 75 staff members, called the abuse faced by his workers "senseless". He has contacted Portsmouth City Council's department for adult social care and notified the police who have stepped up patrols in the area.

“There is a nervousness out there. I can only think people are scared to see the uniform. It is not teenagers being abusive, it's older people.

"Staff are being spat at when there is a coronavirus outbreak.

“People think the carers are carriers. But our staff have got masks, gloves, aprons and they make sure they wash their uniforms every day.

"Police have increased patrols but they can't be everywhere. One of my care workers who was insulted said she is really nervous about going to work and wondering what she might face today.

"We've told our care workers to wear a coat over their uniforms."

While the police are investigating the incidents, the council are allowing care workers to park for free nearer to home care clients' homes to avoid abuse.

Mr Kerridge-McColl believes Health Secretary Matt Hancock must now tell the public to stop abusing care workers who are carrying out essential key worker duties.

Security firm hired to stop hate crime against care workers

Care workers across the UK have had their cars vandalised and even received death threats from neighbours as they go about their daily duties.

A local authority in Devon has resorted to hiring a private security firm to patrol the streets and protect staff from threatening public.

Torbay Council is paying security firm Platinum Security to protect care workers in the county during the coronavirus pandemic. The council said the security firm had been employed to support domiciliary care providers throughout the country.

A statement by Torbay Council stated: ‘The security is available as an on-call service to all agencies and care workers that we work with in Torbay.

‘Care staff are doing an amazing job and it’s important that they have the support of us all in being safe and supported in delivering the care that they do.’

With towns and villages across the UK desperately seeking more care workers during the pandemic, the Local Government Association has also expressed concern about “unacceptable” attacks on care workers.

’Morale is very low’

“Care workers are being abused in the street and I have heard of care workers being shouted and spat at and called ‘carriers of death’” says Karolina Gerlich, executive director of The Care Workers’ Charity. “Care workers don’t have enough PPE and they are putting their lives at risk. Their morale is very low.”

Home care group Right at Home has come up with mental health tips for care workers to help them cope during the coronavirus pandemic.

With tips on mental wellbeing, nutrition, exercise and sleep, the Right At Home website, advises care workers to: Turn off the news; find something else to stimulate your brain; stay active; connect with people online; keep a routine and sleep well.

Supermarkets give priority shopping at wrong times

When it comes to care workers looking after their wellbeing and eating well, home care providers have complained the even supermarkets are making life harder for care staff.

Martin Jones, chief executive of domiciliary care group Home Instead Senior Care has written to supermarkets thanking them for creating priority shopping times for care workers but has criticised the timing of slots.

“It doesn’t make sense for vulnerable people and those who care for them to be in busy places such as supermarkets.

“The morning slots you have allocated are the times when older people are most in need of support (getting up and ready in the morning) and our CAREGivers are most in demand.

“We urge you to find a solution based around prioritised online delivery slots for these groups and also look at a telephone ordering option for many older people who do not have access to online shopping.”

Over £200,000 in aid raised for care workers

Karolina Gerlich, executive director of the Care Workers’ Charity is also concerned about a lack of financial support for care workers.

Karolina Gerlich said: “There is not enough support for care workers and some of them if they have underlying health conditions have to self-isolate for 12 weeks and they are not getting sick pay”.

In response to the coronavirus outbreak, the Care Workers’ Charity has set up a coronavirus emergency fund to give care workers emergency financial aid to self-isolating care workers. “We have raised over £200,000 so far and we have already allocated half of it in £500 grants.

“We desperately need more people to donate to the fund. People are saying to us that they are donating to the NHS but that is a different pot of money.

“Care workers are on the frontline just as much as NHS workers and they need help.”

To donate to the Care Workers’ Charity click here.