Articles

Poor English a Drawback for Potential Live In Carers

12/05/2014

Effective March 2015 Individuals with poor English may find it hard to get a legally required certification to offer home care.

A recently approved government regulation requires new care workers to procure a care certificate 12 weeks after the start of their assignments. The certificate, which will be required effective March 2015, will serve as proof of proper training. Norman Lamb, Minister of State for Care and Support, said that English communication skills are among the requirements recruits must pass to earn their certification.

Dr. Shereen Hussein, a Senior Research Fellow at King's College London’s Social Care Workforce Research Unit (SWRU), said in a May 7, 2014 BBC interview that poor English among care home workers can result to bad patient treatment and even  abuse.

There are about 1.2 million people working as care workers in Britain, according to a study done by King's College London researchers. 20% of these are migrants. Researchers even estimate that half of care workers in some UK cities are composed of foreigners, the majority of which come from EU countries. Dr. Hussein said that while care workers coming from non-European Union countries, such as, India and Pakistan, are required to demonstrate they are able to communicate in English before being allowed to migrate, no such prerequisite is being followed with their EU counterparts.

To prevent instances of bad treatment or abuse because of poor communication between patient and carer, Dr. Hussein recommends care agencies must establish an interview process wherein a recruit’s English proficiency is evaluated. The burden to prove that a recruit is able to speak and read English rests upon the care agency and not on the recruit.

Some care agencies are reacting to Dr. Hussein’s recommendation. UK Home Care Association (UKHCA) said agencies may not be able to gather enough financial resources to carry out an interview process due to recent budget cuts on social care.

Dr. Hussein, however, maintained that the change is timely. She said the interview process is not aimed at deterring migrant care home workers but is only a mechanism to ensure care agencies will “identify areas where induction and training is needed before they go to people's own homes and provide intimate care to them."

Hajnalka Deak, a live in care worker from Hungary, said during a BBC Radio 5 live Breakfast she is in agreement with the new rule. Deak said, “To do the job you have to understand the doctor's instructions, report to relatives and speak to the agencies. You have to help clients do things they can't do for themselves, and it's essential to understand their instructions right away.”