You Can Care week is finally here!  

Supporting, valuing, and empowering care workers

Ran by the UK's leading home care provider, Home Instead, #YouCanCare week, which begins today and ends on March 5th, is an awareness week all about shining a spotlight on the incredible people working in the care sector and encouraging others to come and join.   

To coincide with #YouCanCare week, Person Centred Software, a market leader in care home software, provider of the UK's most widely used digital care planning system (Digital Social Care Record), and new owner of Oomph Wellness, which provides a wellbeing and activities platform for staff and residents, discusses why carers are needed now more than ever and why it's important to celebrate some of the hardest-working and most passionate individuals who work behind the scenes in the care sector.   

Why carers are needed now more than ever   

The need for carers is greater than ever before as the social care sector in England faces a widespread staffing crisis, with the Chief Executive of CQC, Ian Trenholm, stating: "The health and care system is gridlocked and unable to operate effectively''.   

ITV news reports that last year, a preliminary Skills for Care report found that staff vacancies had risen by 52% to 165,000 unfilled posts in 2021-22 – the largest annual increase since records began in 2012-13. There was also a decrease in the number of filled positions – by about 50,000 – for the first time on record.  

Furthermore, quality care services are in high demand due to an ageing population - health and social care services need to adapt to the increasing number of older adults who, in most cases, require complex care to minimise health risks. According to The Health Foundation, over a million health and care staff will be needed in the next decade to meet the growing demand for care.   

As part of #YouCanCare week, we highlight the fantastic job opportunities available within the care sector  

Home Instead, which specialises in tailor-made, flexible home care for older adults, started the #YouCanCare awareness campaign to highlight all the fantastic job opportunities available within the care sector and to show how positive and rewarding working in care can be.   

Renowned for delivering exceptional care, Home Instead, featured on the list of top-rated home care providers in South East England by homecare.co.uk (based on reviews from service users/clients and their family/friends), is on a mission to change the face of ageing and improve the lives of older people across the country, enabling everybody to live independently in the comfort of their own homes, regardless of their age.   

 If you are passionate about making a difference and interested in a career in care, you could be part of Home Instead's team of carers, helping older adults live well at home. As a care professional at Home Instead, you will receive excellent training, great rates of pay and flexible hours. Click here to find out how you can make a difference. 

Jonathan Waugh, Marketing and Business Development Manager at Home Instead says:  

"When you join the Home Instead team as a carer, you are joining a care company like no other. Our passion is to provide people with the best level of personalised care in the comfort of their own homes, making a real difference in people's lives.   

Social care offers a rewarding, long-term career opportunity to those passionate about helping others, and we're on the lookout for people with kind, compassionate hearts and a desire to make a positive difference.'' 

Oomph! Wellness - Supporting the health and wellbeing of carers  

Founded in 2013 to improve the quality of life for people in social care, Person Centred Software has become an award-winning global company with over 3,500 care providers in the UK alone using its digital care planning system. Person Centred Software not only improves the lives of people receiving care but also improves the lives of people providing care by offering a wide range of products to help simplify and digitise the care sector. Its easy-to-use products allow care providers more time with residents and less stress on admin tasks.   

Helping to enhance further the mental, physical and emotional wellbeing of care staff and vulnerable care home residents, Person Centred Software recently acquired a leading wellbeing business for older adults, Oomph! Wellness. Oomph's primary goal is to help older adults live life to the fullest by providing wellbeing training for staff and a wellness platform for residents and staff, containing a vast array of resources and support, including activity ideas, exercise inspiration and training tools. 

Commenting on the partnership, Ben Allen, Founder of Oomph, says:    

"Throughout the last decade, we have provided training to care home staff that focuses on improving the lives of older people through delivering engaging, meaningful, and highly impactful exercise classes and group activities. We've also provided complimentary access to InstructorLive, an exercise platform designed to boost the wellbeing of care staff and help employees to get fit, happy and healthy, offering providers a perk to aid employee retention.   

Through this partnership, PCS can now provide a unique chance to offer a single interface to an ecosystem of services in a way that will make a real difference in people's lives."  

Oomph! Wellbeing and Activities Platform for Residents and Staff  

With the wellbeing and activities platform, staff and residents can enhance their physical and emotional wellbeing with a variety of specialist activity programmes available 24-7 on Oomph! On-Demand, tailored to the interests and needs of those in care.  

Oomph! Wellbeing and Activities Training for Staff  

The wellbeing and activities training platform equips care staff with the skills and knowledge needed to provide residents with expert wellbeing care, exercises, and activities, enhancing every aspect of their wellbeing delivery.   

‘’Four branches within Home Instead are using Oomph On-Demand. The wellbeing and activities platform is fantastic as it helps to enhance the wellbeing and the quality of life for the people we care for, their families, and our care teams, as well as help to encourage people to use technology more effectively. Investing in mindfulness and wellbeing programmes is important because they help reduce stress, anxiety, and overall wellbeing. Other care providers would undoubtedly benefit from using the platform, and I recommend it.’’  

Jonathan Waugh, Marketing and Business Development Manager at Home Instead 

Celebrating some of the hardest-working and most passionate individuals in the care sector 

Person Centred Software's #GladtoCare awareness campaign aims to increase social care staff morale, show carers how much they are appreciated, and boost the profile of carers who work extremely hard with very little public recognition.   

For #YouCanCare week, Person Centred Software wants to raise public awareness of its #GladtoCare campaign to celebrate some of the hardest-working and most passionate individuals who work behind the scenes in the care sector.  

#GladtoCare awareness week takes place between the 12th and 16th of June 2023, and Person Centred Software will be hosting a range of fantastic activities, showcasing all the incredible work everyone involved in care does on a daily basis and naming and honouring our everyday heroes with an array of exclusive prizes. If you want to get involved, register your interest for #GladtoCare awareness week 2023 and receive a FREE Toolkit!