What about care work and in-work poverty? The case of care workers in the UK

Abstract

The social care sector in the United Kingdom (UK) has experienced numerous changes over the last 30 years that culminated in the problems experienced during the COVID 19 pandemic of 2020. At the same time care workers are heralded as ‘heroes’ and essential workers. This accolade does not necessarily fit with the experience of care workers who for many years have been a neglected and ignored workforce. This chapter presents research examining the work and experiences of care workers employed in care homes in the social care sector across a single region. Initially a brief overview of the history of community care is presented to explain the context, this is followed by an outline of the research methods and the main findings and discussion.