If you’ve been following our content for a while, you’ll know that at Ocala Healthcare we make a point of appreciating people for the care they give. It’s been fundamental to our business since we started in 2017. Appreciate everyone is one of our core values because we understand the challenges carers face, the lives they touch, and the difference they make.
We know that carers across the country are the lifeline for millions, and as the pandemic proved, the UK cannot function without a strong and stable social care system.
What happens if care collapses?
If social care were to collapse, millions of people would have to give up work to care for loved ones – where would that spiral end?
Despite the risks, care services remain underfunded. Carers continue to be underpaid and underappreciated. At Ocala Healthcare, we took swift action by adopting the Real Living Wage as set by the Living Wage Foundation. This ensures that carers working with us earn a wage that allows them to live – not just survive.
Changing perceptions of care work
Carers are also too often seen as “unskilled”. In February 2020, the UK government classified care work as unskilled, making it harder for European care workers to enter the country. I remember posting about this on Facebook and being challenged by a friend who insisted care work isn’t skilled.
It was a difficult conversation, but a revealing one – people outside the care sector often have no idea what care work involves. They’ve never supported someone with complex needs or challenging behaviour. They think it’s just tea and chats.
Why understanding matters
We make a point of truly understanding the role of a care worker. Once you understand a day in their life, you realise how much respect they deserve. At Ocala Healthcare, we treat carers as professionals – with professionalism and respect guaranteed.
It may surprise some, but this standard of respect isn’t consistent across the sector. Sadly, those within social care will know this is a fact.
Why managers are struggling too
This is not a failure of care managers – they face a nearly impossible task. They’re expected to deliver outstanding care, turn a profit, manage recruitment, lead teams, support staff, and often do it all with inadequate funding. With so much on their plate, they simply don’t have time to think deeply about whether everyone is feeling appreciated.
Appreciation in action
When we say appreciate everyone, we mean it. We host regular appreciation events – from coffee mornings and summer parties to Christmas get-togethers. We ensure all the carers and services we work with receive Christmas presents every year. We even host a Carer Appreciation Event not just for our own team, but for care homes across Suffolk.
A mission that drives us
Our mission is simple: to become the best care agency in the world at valuing and appreciating everyone in social care.
We’re still on that journey – but we’re proud to say we live our values every single day.
At Ocala Healthcare, we truly do appreciate everyone.