£2,000 cash incentive for people willing to work as carers in Milton Keynes

A shortage of carers has led to Milton Keynes City Council offering a £2.000 ‘golden hello’ payment to anyone wiling to work for them.

The incentive is part of a new recruitment drive by the Adult Social Care department and applies to all applicants who are new or returning to care after 12 months.

It follows the loss of many carers who quit their jobs for reasons including meagre wages and the introduction of mandatory Covid jabs during the pandemic.

A wide variety of roles are available and can be viewed here.

MK Council guarantees a minimum starting salary of £22,777, pro-rata for those working part-time.

A spokesman said: “Home carers, support workers and care assistants all work to ensure residents receive the right support to improve their quality of life. This might mean helping people with complex needs to live independently at home or providing day and overnight support to people with dementia, learning disabilities, autism, or physical disabilities.”

Two open days have been arranged for people to learn more about the roles available and speak to professionals. These will take place at Central Library on Thursday November 23 (1pm – 8pm) and Saturday December 3 (10am – 4pm). There is no need to book.

Cllr Emily Darlington, Cabinet member for Adults, Housing and Healthy Communities, said: “Our carers do an incredible job. As our city continues to grow, we continue to expand our teams, and we’re looking for people who can demonstrate kindness, patience, and compassion.“We have all sorts of opportunities available and will offer you the support and training that you will need to succeed. If you want a rewarding career and the chance to make a positive difference to people’s lives, we would love to hear from you.”

Nationally, the adult social care sector has a higher vacancy rate than the NHS. England’s social care workforce has reduced significantly for first time in 10 years, with experts a loss of around 50,000 workers.

Experts blame it on the impact of Covid, Brexit and the cost of living crisis.