Age-old problem: the story begins with the UK’s struggle to recruit enough care workers to look after its ageing population, exacerbated by Brexit and the pandemic. Photograph: Bryan O'BrienLast year, care home staff in north Wales became worried about some of their colleagues who were turning up to their shifts tired and hungry — so hungry they were eating the leftovers from residents’ meals.
The Care Quality Commission, which inspects care homes, told me it has made 14 referrals of potential instances of modern slavery so far this year, compared with seven in the whole of 2021, three in 2020, seven in 2019 and four in 2018. That makes sense. Social care work is much more likely to involve night work, shift work and zero-hours contracts than competing sectors such as retail, according to data gathered by the government-appointed Migration Advisory Committee .
Care workers tend to be paid a relatively low wage in most countries. But pay in the UK seems particularly poor. Across EU member states, people working in residential long-term care are paid about 79 per cent of average earnings, according to the MAC. In the UK, the figure is 71 per cent. “It’s lovely to know you’ve made someone’s life better, and you’ve looked after them. It’s what I want when I’m old and I have carers, which I probably will do — I want them to treat me how I’m treating people”