The Vision Project

Often, low pay is synonymous with jobs that are
seen as low value and lead to negative perceptions
of care work, which has its challenges but can be
some of the most rewarding work going. There is a
wider issue than just pay rates. Lack of investment
often leads to a lack of training and development,
the very issue which will attract and retain a care
workforce in the longer term. Indeed, the lowest
paid in the sector are often expected to pay for, or
contribute to, their own training and development.
The implications for professional working in the
system have also been significant, leading to a
potentially damaging change in emphasis which
has contributed to less job satisfaction for those
working across the system. Individuals aspire to
become social workers or occupational therapists
or any of the professional and caring roles within
the system because of a desire to support the most
vulnerable in our society, to make a difference and
to add value.
Increasingly their roles are as gatekeepers to
resources which has led to already stressful jobs
becoming harder and less satisfying. Work feels
more adversarial and about denying care rather
than the creative, supportive and sustaining
roles individuals joined for. This must contribute
to burnout and staff looking for other ways to
take back control, of which agency work must
be a prime example. The serious risk lies in staff
becoming negative about already difficult roles
when cost becomes the driving factor. This can
lead to untold damage to staff and the very
individuals they joined the professions to support.
The best care happens where there is trust and
a shared commitment to the same vision and
values for all players in the system. Social Care,
wider Council services, the NHS, education and the
voluntary sector working together in an integrated
system can wrap support around the individual
and their family, to maximise independence and
choice.
Financial pressures across the system cause
disagreements around funding thresholds and can
be the cause of deteriorating relationships and
a lack of trust between staff and organisations,
potentially contributing to a dysfunctional system.
In children’s services this may lead to unfair
pressure on schools unable to support children with
additional needs; and in adults’ services, perverse
decisions about care settings, which can lead to
additional costs in the longer term. A particular
example may be a reluctance to fund early
intervention and prevention, with mental health
services and services for vulnerable adolescents
being particularly vulnerable.
Current thinking recognises the vital role of the
community and voluntary sector in keeping
individuals in their own home and providing vital
support to parents or carers. Funding specific
services is not enough. Councils and the NHS
must invest in voluntary sector infrastructure and
consider their shared commissioning strategies if
they expect the voluntary sector to be available
when needed.
One of the most distressing impacts of a lack
of funding is the way parents or carers have to
fight, sometimes for years, to get the services
and support their child or loved one needs and
deserves. This sometimes leads to a destructive
and adversarial relationship between parents or
carers and the very staff who are there to provide
services and support. This is a terrible consequence
for all concerned, valuable time, money and
energy is wasted, when it should be focused on
the individual who should be at the heart of all
our care.
So, our request to have a properly funded social
care system is about preventing the frustrating
consequences of underfunding that reduce the
effectiveness of the resources already available.
More funding will have a major and beneficial
impact. That the system functions as it does, is
testament to the parents, carers and staff who
work so hard, in spite of the circumstances, to
provide safe and high quality care for so many. But
we can do so much better for the most vulnerable
in our community.
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THE VISION PROJECT