A director of a care worker agency in Co Tyrone has heaped praise on carers in the region as the sector sees improved recruitment after major difficulties in the lead up to Christmas.
Carers at Strabane and District Caring Services struggled to cope with shifts in November and December as it was able to hire just one new carer per month at that time.
Now with increased funding from the Department of Health, its director Carmel Farrell has said it has been able to start twelve new carers in January.
Speaking of the difficulties in covering care needs in the community in the lead up to Christmas, Carmel described the situation as ‘diabolical’, but new funding has allowed it to give carers a 20% pay rise.
“It wasn’t just bad it was diabolical before Christmas. There were a few of the agencies were in realy big trouble and we just didn’t know how we were going to get through Christmas at all,” Carmel told MyTyrone.
“The pool had just been getting smaller and smaller and it just wasn’t an occupation that people were attracted to for one reason or another
“After the minister’s announcement, that meant all the agencies could raise the wages of the carers.
“In our case we gave them a 20% raise, not everyone went as high as that but that’s what we did.
“Because of that we have been able to attract quite a few new people into our caring services.”
Carmel added that staff had been ‘exhausted’ due to increased pressures on the sector since the beginning of the pandemic.
She added: “There were a lot of vacancies initially because a lot of our staff were just exhausted with all the work and all the expectations that were on them, and the wages just weren’t good.
“People who had really appreciated them at the beginning of the pandemic, that had waned over the months and years as things went on.
“With that rise though it made a big difference to a lot of people and we’re in a much better position now.
“I’ve always said that it should be shouted from the rooftops how valuable these people are to the community and it should be more respected and attract better wages.
“They are doing a precious job and I don’t think they get enough recognition for it.”
