In-home support workers “severely short staffed”

Te Puna Ora o Mātaatua home based director Peni Hillman. Photo: Supplied/SunLive.

Competing salaries, mandates and a rising cost of living has left in-home support providers with 'severe staff shortages”.

According to Te Puna Ora o Mātaatua home based director Peni Hillman, providers across the country are currently 'screaming out for support workers”.

'It's a nationwide issue, but in the Eastern Bay of Plenty we are still seeing some regular recruitment. We're definitely specifically seeing a severe shortage in the Western Bay of Plenty.

Peni says 'several factors” have caused the scarcity.

'It hasn't been overnight but it has spanned since the mandates were put in place.

'A lot of support workers along with other people in the sector remained unvaccinated, and were not able to continue employment. I know about a couple of hundred support workers that were not able to continue, so that was a big factor,” says Peni.

She adds that with the rising cost of living, many in-home support workers opted to work in the kiwifruit industry due to competing salaries.

'It's great there's so much work, but we need people to provide in-home care.”

Peni and her team have been busy hosting a 'recruitment day” for support workers in hopes to drive up employee numbers.

Homebase Services Whakatāne manager Sally Mason joined the recruiting effort this week. Photo: Supplied/SunLive.

Although they are based in Whakatāne, Te Puna Ora o Mātaatua also provide care to those in the Western Bay of Plenty, which is where Peni says is seeing 'even more of a shortage of workers”.

'The numbers aren't huge, but we're definitely opening a door for some support workers to start here. We've had a bit of interest from people applying online too.”

Peni says it is important from a kaupapa Māori perspective to drive up numbers of in-home support workers across the country.

'When it comes to remote areas, we find that Māori people will not go into the doctors or hospitals. They prefer to be at home. If we can get more carers provdiding that support at home, where it is definitely needed, then that will benefit the community as a whole

'We [Māori] have a higher hospital admission as well, because they wait until later on in the illness to seek support

'We tend to find if they have support workers in the home, then they will tend to monitor a clients wellbeing as apposed to nobody being around.”

Peni says Te Puna Ora o Mātaatua are looking for people who are passionate, empathetic, and able to articulate and monitor somebody's health and wellbeing.Photo: Supplied/SunLive.

'Experience wise if they are already come with home based support services experience then that is an advantage, but really if they have a passion to do the job then they can be trained on site.

'Te Puna Ora also provide free qualification training which goes towards pay increases.

'As long as they have a passion to look after people in their homes, then that is the main key.

'Give us a call. Ask about what the job entails. We've had people ring up and ask what it is about and basically sign up on the spot, because they are keen to get involved.

'We've got people on the other end of the phone who can explain the job. We had a call this morning about someone who thought htey weren't quite ready to jump all the way in, so they were able to do more low level care and provide meal support.”

Peni says they are looking for people aged '18 and over” but have a variety of in-home support workers in regards to age.

'We have a mature group that come in with more empathetic experience, and younger people do things that are typically a bit more physically demanding.”

For more information on Te Puna Ora o Mātaatua or to get in contact, visit their website, https://www.tpoom.co.nz/.

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1 comment

Mainly mandates

Posted on 02-09-2022 10:31 | By an_alias

Yeah the biggest cause of this is govt and there mandates. You wonder why we need more workers ? Also look at the highest excess mortality NZ has ever had. Ever wondered what has caused that and its not covid ?


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