Love, warmth and hard work: the heart of the British healthcare system – photo report
In Love and Care came from a personal place in my heart. Many of my family members work in healthcare, with aunts and cousins working in nursing homes, as well as my mother, who previously took on a caring role for her mother. This project was inspired by my family, who have experienced first-hand the exhaustion and physical demands of being a caregiver.
From speaking to social care workers, you are confronted with the harsh reality of an underfunded sector where carers often work tirelessly against the odds. The gender disparity in the social care workforce highlights wider societal inequalities that need to be addressed. If people can see the love, warmth and hard work that these carers put into their work, hopefully it will encourage the government to allocate more money to the sector.
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Mugs and biscuits are ready for morning coffee and conversation, Vauxhall, London, 2023
Love and Care discusses the staff shortage and limited availability of caregivers, how employers value them and shares positive and negative experiences of people working in healthcare.
Despite the challenges of an under-regulated system, healthcare workers are showing up and giving their all, day after day. Above all, In Love and Care celebrates the love and resilience of caregivers, and highlights the importance of the healthcare system as the population ages.
Chelsey Depledge, Healthcare Assistant, Somerset
“I believe that to improve social care, more money needs to go towards hiring more staff and more training needs to be given to staff so that they feel comfortable and confident in carrying out their roles. More meaningful activities need to be provided in care homes and social care settings for clients to ensure that they have a good quality of life and have activities where they can interact with others to combat loneliness and get mental stimulation.”
Mikey, driver of a day center and support worker for adults with intellectual disabilities limits, Hertfordshire
“Everything is forgotten. If you want to talk to the Minister of Health now, or even say to your health care workers, ‘Look at the pandemic, we applauded health care workers.’ That was the best you could get, it’s a mouthpiece. But it doesn’t bother me, you know, I see myself as an individual helping other people, because you never know, situations can change. That’s the beauty of the job.
“It was great when the government praised us to the skies. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could get more people into the profession? But you know, everything gets forgotten.
“I mean, anyone who’s never worked in healthcare or wants to work in healthcare, it’s a very broad industry, with lots of different people. Just like anything else in life. Come and try it for yourself. You’ll love it because the guys you work with, the individuals that work with you, they’ll make your day, they’re all different characters. That’s the beauty of it, different branches of a tree. Everyone has their own little bit to lift you up.
“Come in and try it, you can’t go wrong, if you’re a people person and you want some change. This is for you, you know, give something back to people, don’t just think about yourself, give something back and the reward will be yours.”
Ellen, foster parent and day care assistant for adults with intellectual disabilities handicap, london
“I get into fostering because I want to improve the experience of young people. I want to create new ways to work with them and support them. I want to have a lasting impact on the people who come into my life.”
Jan, Caregiver and Pastor, Somerset
“I think when people bring their mother or father into the home, they’re worried that they’re not going to get the care that they should. There was a woman who recently passed away, but her daughter came in and said, you know, we were really worried because we didn’t know if she was going to get the love and care that she needed.
“It’s handing over responsibility to someone else at that point, you don’t really know, and you just have to trust that what’s being said is the truth. It takes a while for them to realize that yeah, you know, this home provides, we all do our best to provide great quality of care. After a while she realized that, and her mother was also very happy and said everything was fine. She called us her family. She said, ‘I’m leaving you with your other family.’”
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Top left: Margaret, a resident of a Somerset care home, reflected in a bedroom mirror. Top right: a chandelier outside Margaret’s bedroom, 2023.
Michelle, Day Centre Support Worker, London
“If you talk to a lot of people, it’s the funding that’s the problem, and we have to beg, steal and borrow. We’ve had to fix so many things and make do over the years. And our clients pay a lot of money to come here. They should be getting the best that we can give them. And not jigsaw puzzles from a charity shop. Why shouldn’t they get brand new ones? I think the government should look at the funding, and they shouldn’t be stingy. Then they would attract more people into care.”
Jan Monahan, Day Centre Support Worker, London
“The day centre promotes life skills and integrates people into the community. Over Christmas they were involved with Borehamwood football club, they went out and did pantomimes. It just gives them the confidence to go out into the community because it’s not such a big thing. I think for me it promotes their independence. That’s what I get out of it.”
Kate, healthcare worker and day centre assistant for adults with intellectual disabilities limits
“For me it’s just seeing people develop and be happy, that they can do the little things like make a picture or make a cup of tea, seeing the smile on their face and realizing that they did this.
“You know, the kind of happiness that they experience, and I think in that moment, when they’ve realized their potential and they realize that they feel appreciated for what they’ve done, I love that, because in that moment it’s like there’s nothing else around you.
“There’s nothing else that matters, it’s just that moment when you see what they’ve done and you feel like you’ve supported them to do that. Those are really beautiful moments and I think that’s what keeps you going, to inspire people to keep going.”
Debbie Coles, former care assistant, now teaching assistant
“I found it quite difficult towards the end. We had quite a change of staff. I was still in the shelter and I was working a shift with temporary workers who didn’t know the house. So you end up doing the lion’s share of what needs to be done.”
Sue, Care Worker and Manager of a Nursing Home in Somerset
“We used to have quite a few residents on social services. But the difference between what they pay now and what we charge is so big that we really can’t afford to fill our house with people who are dependent on social services. And I don’t know, I hate having to say no to people. But in this house, you only get what the residents pay, and I don’t think people realize how much is going away.
“The biggest part of what comes in is wages. And we always try to pay above the minimum wage. Because they certainly deserve it. I would gladly pay more if I could.”
Lujan, Care Assistant in a Nursing Home for the Elderly, London
“My parents, they work as care assistants, but they didn’t tell me anything about the job. It was a surprise to me. It’s better if your children want to go into healthcare. They have to do their own research. And when the research is on the internet, it just says personal care and people won’t even read it. They’ll say, okay, personal care, that’s it. And then when they go there, it’s like there’s all sorts of personal care stuff that’s needed.
“I didn’t know anything about changing your sanitary pads, washing clients and everything. At first my head was blank. Okay, what is it? But slowly it took a few months to get used to the work, but after that it’s okay. If you like doing this work, you will find it easier.”