Since the recession back in 2009, social care provision for people with learning disabilities has been facing huge cuts. Where I work we faced a restructure in 2012, we were given fewer front-line staffing hours, meanwhile our intake has never been higher or more complex. Many of the people who left or retired have not been replaced, many others had their hours slashed and/or their jobs downgraded. Meanwhile the people making the funding decisions all decided their jobs and salaries were necessary.

Two years after this restructure we're reaping the 'benefits'; staff are exhausted, mistakes are being made, good people are being forced to leave. Every one of my colleagues work within the sector because they care about what they are doing. Not because it's 'unskilled' and they can't do any 'better', certainly not for the money or the hours (or the reputation for that matter). People who care are being taken advantage of because we will carry on, because we care about the individuals we work with.

The most vulnerable members of society are being cared for in a service that's not fit for purpose. Not because the staff aren't taking good care of them, not because they are too complex, or that no one cares. Because there aren't enough people to safely and meaningfully care for them.

Advertisement

Every week there are hours and hours of shifts that go uncovered, that are then allowed to go ahead under unsafe staffing levels. If the families of those we care for ever looked at our rota they would be disgusted, and rightly so. Burnt out staff are working long over their hours, giving care, dosing out medication. Staff are working until breaking point, in the small unit I work in two people have taken long stretches of time off due to stress in the past year, to put that in context that's around 17% of the workforce. This is a ticking time bomb. I care a great deal about the lives of the individuals we work with and their welfare, it disgusts me that they are not getting the service they pay for.

We work with no breaks, traditionally we opted out of breaks because you can work them in at quieter moments of the shift. This isn't the case anymore. The irony is that we work to help improve peoples quality of life and yet our's is reducing. I work, then I go home. I'm too tired to do anything else other than worry about the next shift. I know I can leave if I wanted, that's not the issue - I know the problem will continue if it isn't addressed. We need more staff, that's the plain and simple fact.

Sponsored