If you work in a care home and you think your manager is your boss, you’re wrong! When you embark on a career in care you’re not working for your supervisor, your manager, the home owner or even yourself; you are working purely and simply for the service users and your first priority should always be their welfare.

The Privatisation of Care

In today’s world of privatisation the care system is changing. Whereas once care in this country was managed by the state or the NHS, it’s now run by businessmen and in the majority of cases, they haven’t had any experience of working in care; but what they do understand is that in order for a business to work it needs to be profitable.

At present, the average annual cost of care for a resident who needs medical assistance or attendance by two or more carers (for example those residents who may be violent or present difficult behaviour) is around ?40,000.

This means that a care home with ten residents will be accruing ?400,000 a year, but what many carers, managers and owners fail to realise is that this money belongs to the service user and no one else and should be spent with their needs in mind and no one else’s.

When you work in care, whether you’re an assistant or own a cache of homes, budgets should be spent in a way which most benefits the service user. So all money that goes into or comes out of a home must be carefully monitored and managed to ensure that residents get the best from the money that belongs to them.

So if you don’t see this happening, for example if the day to day running of the home, food shopping, amenities and so on aren’t being budgeted correctly, then in effect you are not doing a good job for your boss or bosses.

Can I Say No?

Whether it’s to do with budgeting, the security of the home or the treatment and safety of residents, you can always say no to a request if you don’t agree with the reasons for a manager or supervisor making that request. You can do this whether you’ve been working in the home for a year, a week or a day.

For instance, if you’re asked to be alone with a resident and you don’t feel comfortable doing so, then say no! If you’re asked to make a purchase that you think is unnecessary and won’t benefit the service user then say no! If you’re asked to do anything that you think is unethical or could put your career, your personal safety or the safety of residents at risk, then just say no!

Not everyone working in care is doing so because they want to help people. When you encounter such a person you can do something about it by modelling good practice and being brave enough to stand up for what you know is right.

Remember, care homes are profitable organisations so those at the top of the tree will want the homes they own to run as smoothly and successfully as possible so they can continue to find more residents and in turn increase profits.

Running care homes as moneymaking ventures may not be the best way to do it, but unfortunately in today’s society there is little other choice. However, with the right approach and a little self-belief, you can make a difference to service users and improve their quality of life no matter where you sit on the care ladder.

About Author :  Helen Carter, a passionate care blogger and care worker for St George’s Care Agency,leading providers of care home and residential home staff training courses in the United Kingdom.
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