‘Why social workers should oppose the continuation of the Care Act easements’

In normal circumstances many people move from hospitals into care homes, either temporarily or permanently, with the support of social workers. Yet Covid-19 has proven, devastatingly, to be near impossible to contain in those settings. Care homes are not by nature set up to provide appropriate care, support and treatment to Covid-positive patients. Throughout the pandemic, care home workers have shown incredible dedication and compassion toward those they care for. However, they don’t have the expertise or resources needed to effectively nurse Covid-positive or Covid-recovering chronically ill and disabled people who have been deemed fit for discharge by hospitals under immense strain. And nor should they be expected to, having long been undervalued by government and society, expressed in poor pay and few development opportunities. Read more.