New care minister spends time 'listening' to care workers on Celebrating Homecare Day

The new Minister for Care Gillian Keegan met with home care workers from London Care on Celebrating Homecare Day to learn more about “this vital part of our care system” and spend time “listening” to the challenges they face.

London Care, which offers dementia support, care for people with cognitive and physical disabilities and reablement support to people recovering from illness, accident or hospitalisation, received a visit from the new care minister on the first ever 'Celebrating Homecare Day' on 22 September.

Care minister Gillian Keegan told the home care workers: “It’s been great to spend some time with all of you. Everybody here is a carer on the front line for London Care. All of you go into people’s homes every day to help support a whole range of people with a whole range of needs.

“I was just listening to some of the challenges but also some of the joys of the work that they do as well.

"On Home care day it’s fantastic to be with you all and it’s been fantastic to learn more about this vital part of our care system.”

Home Care Association chief executive Jane Townson tweeted that she was “encouraged” by the minister’s “willingness to listen and engage.”

In a video featuring celebrities paying homage to home care workers, Dr Townson said Celebrating Homecare Day is “a day dedicated to raising awareness of the value of receiving and giving care at home. We’re planning to make Celebrating Homecare an annual event with a different theme each year.

“The theme for this first year is #madewithcare. We want to celebrate the many things care workers and the people they support make and share at home.“

Celebrity video includes Esther Rantzen's words 'It's time we celebrated you'

The Silverline founder Esther Rantzen also appeared in the video to tell home care workers: “You do so much for so many people and it’s time we celebrated you.”

Welsh former sprint and hurdling athlete Colin Jackson said: “Thank you to all the home care workers who brighten up the day of everyone that they support.”

On Celebrating Homecare Day, wellbeing support workers Angie and Kelly had "lots of fun" teaching home care client Dorothy the macarena dance at her home.

Home care worker Lauren who works for Avanti Homecare bought a colouring book for the client she cares for to ensure they can both have fun colouring together.

Cardigan took 7 months to knit with home care worker's help

Home care workers at Home Instead got involved in Celebrating Homecare Day by getting crafty together with their clients.

Florrie, aged 94, with assistance from her home care worker Helen got busy to live up to the #made with care theme by knitting a cardigan they had started working on in February.

Their knitting project was finished just in time for Celebrating Homecare Day on 22 September.

Home Instead Redditch and Bromsgrove employs over 80 care workers who support people in their own homes, providing companionship, personal care and dementia care.

Home Instead Redditch and Bromsgrove franchise business owner, Annie Dixon-Dunn said: “It is so important that we recognise the amazing work that our care workers do with this day. However, as the length of Helen and Florrie’s knitting project shows, our caregivers go above and beyond every day.

Home care workers are 'superstars'

"They are super stars. Their roles deserve to be celebrated now, and increasingly into the future.”

Deborah Study, chief nurse for adult social care in England took the opportunity on #CelebratingHomecare day to call on the public to nominate home care workers for the Chief Nurse Award.

Deborah Study said: “These individual awards recognise exceptional practice and care and rightly give recognition, acknowledgement and appreciation that those individuals deserve."

North Lanarkshire Council has decided to celebrate home care workers by lighting up its civic centre. It tweeted “Today is #CelebratingHomecareDay and we will be illuminating the civic centre yellow to recognise the amazing difference homecare makes in people’s lives every day.

Meanwhile, Donald Macaskill, chief executive of Scottish Care which represents Scottish home care organisations and care homes, (@DrDMacaskill) tweeted: “There is a real crisis in Scotland’s #socialcare sector.

"The issue of delayed discharge in hospitals and avoidable admissions will never be sorted unless #socialcare especially #homecare providers are resourced to deliver and survive. Let’s work together. #celebratinghomecareday.”

Karolina Gerlich, chief executive of the Care Workers’ Charity, which helped launch Celebrating Homecare Day, said “We are acutely aware that as a society we need to do better and recognise and reward our home care workers fairly.

“Care workers do such amazing work, bringing companionship, care and comfort to so many people. It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to celebrate what they do.”

If you would like to find out out about jobs in the home care sector click here

click here for more details or to contact Home Instead (Redditch and Bromsgrove)