100,000 vacancies in our care system

The profits made by owners, investors and financial companies are huge and are made at the expense of the workers who are poorly paid for the jobs they do.

The whole of the care system needs better, far more robust, regulation.

I agree about the Filipino nurses.

OP- Yes, Yes and Yes Cossy.

Margs 11.35- also Yes!

The CQC - Care Quality Commission - needs to be shaken up if not replaced with a more robust organisation that doesn't - rather like Ofsted - hand out one word ratings, and also has extended powers to deal with failing care homes more rigorously.

I agree Aveline, they have been a huge asset to the NHS.

There does need to be an overhaul of the care system to make it more attractive. I don’t personally think we should be looking primarily to school leavers or under 25s though, as life experience usually makes people the best carers. Middle aged people are often ideal, but it needs to fit in with their other commitments, and pay well enough to be a worthwhile occupation compared with the alternatives.

Burnham has talked about the very poor pay in the care system, so it is something the government recognises.

While I'm not keen on talking about different cultural approaches, there are cultures where caring and nursing and respecting the elderly are much more valued than they are in our own.Where whites tend to judge the value of a job by the pay, & write-off care as a career (it's a lot more skilful than for eg delivery work) I think phillipinos get a lot of self-respect out of doing a really important job well & making a difference, & that's something it wouldn't hurt us to emulate.
Of course the wages should go up, but wow that's difficult given the shortage of care spaces & funding issues bedevilling the system right now.

I've found Filippino nurses and carers to be very well trained and actually just plain kind! I'm a big fan.