Professional Care Workers’ Week: Celebrating the Skills and Stories of Our Care Workforce
Working in social care is not “just a job” – it’s a profession that requires a whole range of skills, including: compassion, dignity, leadership, resilience, dedication, patience, advocacy, initiative, adaptability, teamwork, communication – on top of technical skills and health and care knowledge.
Professional Care Workers’ Week, which runs from 12–19 September, calls for us to recognise the professionalism displayed by the care workforce, and it spotlights the vital contributions of care workers across the UK.
At My Home Life England, we’re privileged to regularly hear through our research and programmes the transformative impact that carers have on people’s lives:
Transforming Lives Through Skilled Care
Care workers support transformations in health, and can often notice what others have missed. One care team we spoke to helped a woman to come off oxygen completely, by identifying and treating recurring infections, dramatically improving her quality of life:
“ She never mobilised with oxygen ever again. We were able to treat the infection that was there, that was causing her to need the oxygen. So, her life greatly improved. You know, she got to live with us for several months, and had a really great quality of life.”
Another gentleman, previously assumed all his life to have a learning disability, was found by his new care team to be profoundly deaf. With support from the team, he began learning to speak at age 82, and his communication improved dramatically:
“No one has tried to do that with this gentleman for 82 years… and we were able to do that for somebody.”
Dignity in Every Detail
Care team member Nicole, affectionately known as the “bath queenie,” told us how she takes pride in helping people to feel clean, comfortable, and ‘themselves’ again:
“I like making sure their hair is all pretty… just the way they would have probably done themselves beforehand. You’re really getting to know that person, making sure their personal care [is done well].”
Fifi, who lives in a care home, spoke about the sensitive support she received with incontinence from her carers:
“I hoped I would never have to wear pads… I am very, very dependent on the carers, who, here, I must say do a wonderful job.”
These small, everyday moments reveal the deep respect and attention to dignity that carers bring to their roles.
Emotional Support and Human Connection
Relationship-centred care is crucial to quality of life. One carer Laila described taking time in her schedule to support a grieving, blind lady, who was recently bereaved:
“Every day she cries on me… My job as a carer is to give her that comfort and not let her feel lonely. Every day I find a little time, whether 5 minutes or 10 minutes, I do it”.
Another care team member Heather spoke about being available for chats and coffee during the night, recognising that emotional needs don’t follow a schedule:
“If they just want to during the night with the carers, they could have a chat. If they want a coffee during the night, they can have a coffee.”
Older people themselves recognised how their relationships with carers, and the compassion they were shown, had a fundamental impact on their wellbeing, with Pauline telling us:
“I have had a lot to cope with, but they too are looking after me. But they’re all so kind to me. They’re lovely. I love them all. I do”.
Cultural Inclusion and Belonging
Care workers regularly go beyond routine tasks to make people feel truly seen and understood. One team reached out to local Jamaican and Polish community groups to support older people whose cultures weren’t represented in the home:
“They can have a bit of their community being brought in. We do try our best to make everyone feel at home.”
We also heard examples of teams using written words and picture boards to support communication for those with dementia or facing language barriers, showing how care adapts to individual needs.
Promoting Independence and Choice
Even when people’s wishes can seem ‘risky’ and safety is a concern, care workers find ways to uphold autonomy. One manager described how a gentleman who lacked capacity was still supported to go for his daily walks with a carer following discreetly behind:
“We say, ‘Well, then, off you go!’ We know they only get so far, and then they’ll be like, ‘Oh can’t do this anymore.’ So we’ll say ‘Should we just take you back?’ …‘Yeah.’ They realise their limits themselves. But, if they want to do it, they can.”
This approach reflects the balance of safety and empowerment that defines professional care practice.
Compassion at the End of Life
End-of-life care is one of the most profound responsibilities in care work, with a strong commitment to ensuring things are “top standard” during the dying and aftercare process.
One carer Caitlin, known for being particularly passionate about good end of life care, described being called in at 11pm, still in her dressing gown, to sit with a dying lady whose daughter lived abroad:
“I wouldn’t want to be on my own. So, it’s nice to know they’ve got someone with them.”
Another spoke about continuing to talk to the person after they had passed, describing how she liked to wash and dress them and get things “perfect”, saying “It’s like the last step”:
“I would never treat them as if they’re not there.”
A Celebration of Care
These stories prove that care work is skilled, professional, and transformative. Carers uphold autonomy, make quality of life possible, and ensure dignity, right up to the final chapter of people’s lives.
At My Home Life England, many of us also began our journeys in care homes, hospitals, or community settings. The experiences we had and the skills we learnt continue to shape how we communicate, lead, and advocate for the sector today.
This Professional Care Workers’ Week, we celebrate every care worker, and saying a big thank you for all that you do!