Care home workers

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Staff working in care homes wether they are council or privately owned are part of our health and care workforce.

 

The Covid 19 pandemic has been especially challenging for those working and volunteering in care homes, whatever their role – from the lack of PPE, to anxieties around protecting loved ones and those they care for, the relentless pressure on keeping residents safe has taken its toll. Whilst we are hopefully coming out the other side of the pandemic, we know that this brings rise to other concerns such as anxieties around vaccinations, impact of losing people they have cared for or struggled with the level of care they have been able to provide.

General guidance for Care Home Staff

The West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub produces a newsletter for care homes which you can read here together with a covering letter from our consultant psychologists.

They are also in the process of making a podcast about the issues and challenges facing care home staff as a result of the pandemic.

You can find more resources for people who work as carers  and you can get confidential help every day from trained listeners on our free support line 0808 196 3833, open 8am -8pm or online chat here.

Further links and resources for care home workers

The West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership has a page dedicated to working carers.

The Care Worker Charity supports the financial, professional and mental wellbeing of social care workers by making grants, signposting to resources and providing access to services.

Skills for Care CEO, Oonagh Smyth, applauds the Samaritans’ current wellbeing campaign, including their helpline to support the adult social care workforce. Meanwhile, Samaritans volunteer, Faith Williams, describes her experience answering calls from health and social care workers during the pandemic.

Mental Health at Work campaign has developed a toolkit for Our Frontline: support for social care workers

Social Care Institute for Excellence

This website includes practice examples from the sector that highlight ways care homes and supported living providers have supported their staff during periods of crisis and in a broader COVID-19 context. In addition, there are links to quality-checked guidance and resources that cover the topics of: general support and wellbeing, supporting staff following bereavement or multiple deaths in a home and supporting Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff.

Local Government (LGA)

The LGA and NHS England and Improvement have produced a comprehensive pack of wellbeing information and resources to help health and care managers support the wellbeing of staff who may be working under exceptional pressure to do their jobs while at the same time dealing with their own personal situations and emotions.