Middle-age mothers’ role in care ‘should be recognised’

MIDDLE-AGED MOTHERS are the backbone of Sheffield’s care services and should be held in higher regard, says a council boss.

Sara Storey, who started out as a care assistant and progressed to become a senior office in adult social care at Sheffield City Council, told a scrutiny meeting that during the Yorkshire floods last November carers went into “battle mode” and didn’t miss a single call.

And she said carers needed more recognition, adding: “We need to raise the esteem of workers and allow that expertise and knowledge to be utilised to make sure we get a better service for people.

“The voice of carers is often not heard as we think we need to hear from people with some letters after their name but it’s not the GP or social worker who sees these people occasionally, it’s the carer coming in every single day.”

Ms Storey also highlighted the continuing crisis facing social care.

And she told the meeting that some of the challenges facing carers were very similar to when she started out and there needed to be improvements.

She said: “People tell us home care doesn’t work well for them. There’s a focus on meals and meds and people feel rushed and don’t know when their care worker will come and it makes for a poor experience.

“But when people tell us good things they are usually talking about a person who they have developed a good relationship with.

“Care workers are trying to do the best they can. They are often women in their 50s with elderly parents and children or grandchildren.

“They are often the sandwich generation, women who have been carers themselves and perhaps felt they had experience to do it.

“It’s not a great job in terms of pay or esteem, as it’s not a well thought of or valued role – we don’t hear of them in the same positive sense as other staff.”