| 190 Social care workers mental health can be affected by their job Social care workers explained that their mental health was negatively affected by their workload and the demands of their job. They often sought informal support outside their work environment as some social care workers felt they lacked support from co-workers and their employers. In addition, social care workers felt insecure about whether they provided the best quality care possible as a result of their burden. Informal caregivers recognized that social care workers were having a hard time. There was another lady there who came, I think she did three days a week. She said she’d like to do more, but she doesn’t feel she didn’t feel she could cope mentally herself with doing it. (informal caregiver 8) And you know, because it can make you know you as the carer feel quite insecure as well because you’re like, oh, I don’t feel like I’m giving this this customer as much as they could be given, you know, and maybe they don’t feel comfortable and things like that. (care worker 2) Too much work, too little time Social care workers and informal caregivers were stressed by the lack of available time for visits. Social care agencies were often perceived as understaffed as colleagues often called in sick at short notice. Social care workers and informal caregivers noted that there was a high degree of staff turnover. On a more practical note, informal caregivers often indicated that they were frustrated by the time of day that social care workers showed up. The lack of consistency in terms of the time they showed up added stress and uncertainty for the informal caregiver, furthering the burden placed on them. I’ve gone into people’s houses, getting them out of bed, and a lot of the time that not given driving time in between calls. I had to get 10 miles from one house to another, and the call didn’t finish till 9 o’clock and I had to be at this next house at 9 o’clock. Which was 10 miles away, which is impossible. (care worker 1) The frustrating part of it all is, they just turn up anytime between 6:30 and 8:30 in the morning, and between 5:00 o’clock and 7:00 o’clock on an evening. Which is just not acceptable, and to be honest, who wants to get into their pyjamas at 5:30 on an afternoon ready for bed? (informal caregiver 14)
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