Oxford,
03
July
2017
|
09:33
Europe/London

Care staff in Oxfordshire asked to give their views and opinions

Thousands of Oxfordshire people who work in the adult social care sector are being urged to pass on their knowledge and views on their how they can be better supported in their work, travel and access to affordable housing.

A total of 94 per cent of the social care workforce in Oxfordshire works in the private, voluntary and independent sector with only 500 of the 13,500 staff working directly for Oxfordshire County Council.

There are 250 different employers in total and key information about the workforce and experiences of working in the care sector is therefore not directly accessible to the council.

The Oxfordshire Adult Social Care Working and Living survey was launched on June 12 to ask care workforce staff what they think about their work, whether they feel supported to learn and develop, and whether they plan to stay in their line of work longer term.

The survey also covers housing needs and seeks to gather information that will help the council work in partnership with others to make it easier for staff to stay in the care sector.

Responses to the survey are all anonymous – neither the individual responding nor their employer can be identified by return. There is a prize draw at the end of the survey for those who have entered.

Councillor Lawrie Stratford, Oxfordshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care said: “Whilst the council does not directly provide the majority of care that people receive in Oxfordshire, it still has a role to play in ensuring that the local care sector is working well.

“By directly asking people who work in social care about their experiences of doing so and about their travel and housing leads, we can build an accurate picture that then assists us in the task of doing what we can to build a system that works for everyone.

“We urge everyone who does paid work in the adult care sector to respond to our survey and to be frank with us on the positives and negatives relating to their working lives, affordability and their housing situation.

Kate Terroni, Director for Adult Social Care, added: "We want to ensure our care sector employers can recruit and retain staff with the skills to meet the increasing complexity of needs that people in Oxfordshire have. It is therefore essential that we understand who wants to come and work in care and how we can support them to continue to deliver this important job; making a real difference to people’s lives on a daily basis."

How to respond to the survey

1. Complete the survey online here

2. Complete the survey by telephone

Call Freephone 0800 980 9030 and quote “OXFORDSHIRE SOCIAL CARE SURVEY”. The call won’t cost you anything.

3. Complete the survey by post

If you would like to complete a paper version of the questionnaire, please call the Freephone number