Workers needed to join care homes across Shropshire and West Midlands
Councils and private care homes across Shropshire and the West Midlands have issued an urgent appeal for hundreds of workers to join the fight against the Covid-19 epidemic.
Local authority improvement body West Midlands Employers (WME) and the regional branch of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (WMADASS) has launched the #TimeToCare campaign on behalf of adult social care providers in the region, alongside recent appeals for former social workers and social work students to get involved.
The appeal comes as the focus of the Covid-19 emergency moves to social care, as the pressures on care homes and homes services grow, and the risks to their residents and clients continue to increase.
The campaign aims to attract redundant and furloughed workers to carry out essential roles in care across the West Midlands – from assisting people in their personal care to working as catering, maintenance and admin staff.
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WME and WMADASS are looking for additional staff to ensure thousands of vulnerable adults in need of care, who are shielding at home or who are in residential or nursing homes, receive the support they need during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond.
Andy Begley, chair of ADASS in the West Midlands and executive director adult services, public health & housing at Shropshire Council, said: “We need urgent help.
"Many care homes were already under immense pressure and struggling to recruit before Covid-19 hit.
"With a significant and growing number of vulnerable people requiring care and many existing care staff becoming ill and having to self-isolate themselves, we are facing a very difficult situation.”
Rebecca Davis, chief executive of WME, said: “You have the opportunity to make a real difference to people’s lives right now by applying for a role or sharing the #TimeToCare campaign with people you know in and around the West Midlands.
"There are plenty of different jobs available, from providing personal care to cooking meals for residents, and training will be provided and your safety and wellbeing a priority."
People can explore existing roles at tinyurl.com/y9wqjdk9
If you are a business in the West Midlands and would like to offer support visit timetocare.org.uk/sharetocare
