The social care industry has an image problem. High staff turnover and workforce shortages, combined with the widely publicised experience of carers during the pandemic, has meant that public perception of care as a viable and rewarding career choice has been damaged.
With stigma being attached to the profession due to negative stereotypes and outdated beliefs about what a career in care really entails, positive change for the industry is proving difficult to achieve.
But can challenging these notions at a young age – and with an innovative approach – help change the future of the industry?
Embark Learning Care Academy is working to dispel myths about careers in care and encourage youngsters into the sector, highlighting the huge personal benefits that the profession brings and challenging the status quo by building a highly trained and qualified workforce.
The Embark team kicked off National Careers Week at Queensbridge School’s Careers Event on 3rd March, delivering an interactive presentation to the Year 7 students about the benefits and the positive impact of a career in care.
Commenting on the event, Safwan Hanash, senior partnership and development manager at Embark, said: “It was a privilege to deliver a presentation to the young students and inspire them to consider a rewarding career in care.
“Some of them will already have reservations about being a carer, even at such a young age, which is why it’s vital to deliver sessions such as these in schools, helping challenge potential misconceptions about the industry and highlight all the benefits that come with being a carer.
“We highlighted the variety of roles available in the industry, the flexibility around shift patterns, and the possibility to make a real difference in the lives of people.”
With concerns regarding the availability of qualified carers in the industry, Embark is committed to addressing misconceptions about the sector at a grassroots level. It is doing this through its community programme, which links up with local schools to spread the positive benefits of a career in care, leaving groups of learners motivated and keen to make a difference through their work.
Hanash added: “The key to improving staff retention and workforce attrition in the care sector generally is the provision of regular high-quality training.
“Each individual’s learning journey can and should be different, and we actively facilitate that through a training model that embraces various modes of learning and encourages individuals to explore the many pathways in the sector.”
Catherine Coyles, head of Year 7 at Queensbridge School said: “The team at Embark led an inspiring session with our Year 7 students as part of National Careers Week. They shared their experience of teaching a range of skills to those aiming to work in care roles.
“As part of the session, the team asked pupils about their experience of caring which, as the questions continued, brought about the realisation that all of the students had caring roles in their family lives in one way or another, creating a connection between everyday life and a possible career in care.”
Embark is making great strides in the industry by working with leading organisations across Birmingham to help children who find themselves becoming carers at home, providing mentoring or support, access to basic training, information and signposting.
Hanash said: “There were many children in the room who already care for someone in their family, even at such a young age, but of course have no training or support at all.
“One of Embark’s main objectives is to enhance educational opportunities for carers, for the benefit of them and the people they care for. Some of these children are our carers of the future and we think they deserve the right help and guidance.”
