‘Invisible, endless, relentless’: the reality of care work in England

A care worker (not Sarah) feeds her client via a tube during a home visit. Photograph: Lindsey Parnaby/AFP/Getty Images

“Unless you’ve actually experienced some sort of care in your life, it’s an invisible job,” says Sarah*, a senior adult social care worker who has more than two decades of experience.

“It’s an endless job. It’s a relentless job. With the ridiculous pay and the way we’re treated, yeah, you’ve got to have a passion.”