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‘ Nurses have a lot of support in the NHS and there ’ s a lot of career potential – there also is in social care , but we ’ re not shouting about it . There ’ s a feeling that we put nurses into nursing home roles expecting that they will be super-nurses and be able to cope with the increasing complexities that the sector now has . They need more understanding , knowledge , training and support than ever before to do that ,’ asserts Ms Whittaker .
She continues : ‘ If people feel they are looked after , supported , encouraged and empowered , they will stay .’
However , she says the key to offering such support is proper investment and education .
‘ Attitudes need to change and there is a core of people who really want to make things happen for social care nursing . It ’ s a very exciting time . I think if we can support nurses with further continuing education at a higher level , we will be able to meet the needs of a growing aging population with increasingly complex conditions .’
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Professor Sturdy has been working to ‘ shine a light ’ on the social care sector and raise its profile .
She said its biggest challenge is recruitment and retention , ‘ particularly with the backdrop of a global shortage of registered nurses ’.
However , there is no ‘ magic solution ’ she explains , adding : ‘ It ’ s about long-term investment .’
Margot Whittaker , director of nursing compliance at Devon-based provider Southern Healthcare , believes the sector is ‘ desperately underfunded ’ and has seen a trend in homes dropping nursing provision .
‘ We ’ ve always had problems attracting nurses into our sector . Historically it ’ s always been seen as the Cinderella profession and the poor relation to the NHS ,’ she says . But why is it seen in such a negative way ? ‘ There is a perceived lack of career progression ,’ says Ms Whittaker , who has spent three years working with Bolton University on an innovative advanced diploma training programme for social care nurses 4 , to provide accreditation through training and support .
‘ As a sector we are not able to support our nurses well enough due to financial restraints [ preventing us ] giving them the opportunities they need ,’ she says .
‘ Highest autonomy ’ Professor Sturdy is among those ready to drive this change in approach .
She says social care nursing involves ‘ practising with the highest autonomy ’, and therefore the sector needs ‘ the most highly skilled nurses ’.
Professor Sturdy , who trained as a nurse 42 years ago , believes change needs to happen across the board , from providing graduates with experience of social care nursing to help attract them to the sector , to offering better career progression and training .
She also believes recognition for those working in the sector is vital , such as more social care nurses being put forward for honours .
‘ You can change every system and process in the world but if you don ’ t change attitudes you aren ’ t going to get very far .
‘ We need to shine a light on social care nursing . We have people doing phenomenal things supporting people living with dementia , and nurses managing really complex care in the community . They are stepping in where the NHS can ’ t provide that support .
‘ People telling their stories is important , including those who have transferred out of the NHS because social care fits more with their values .’
Professor Sturdy adds : ‘ I think we are on a journey with this and we are turning the tide . We needed someone to light the fire and the fire has been lit . What ’ s been amazing for me is seeing the breadth of talent in social care . People who are the absolute future leaders in the sector .’
In April , the government published the Next steps to put People at the Heart of Care white paper 3 , which aims to reform adult social care over the next 10 years .
Helen Whately , the minister of state for social care , said in her foreword to the document : ‘ For decades adult social care has not had the attention , resource or support from government that it deserves . But we are changing that .
‘ Front and centre of these reforms are my ambitions for the adult social care workforce . I want to support care workers to develop their skills and their careers , and to be recognised for those skills .’
The minister also acknowledged that ‘ new and innovative ways of providing care and support can improve outcomes for people ’.
There are many examples of innovative work already happening in the social care sector to tackle some of the challenges .