Councillors highlight staff shortages in Home Help sector

Since October 2023, an employment embargo has been put on the Health Care and Social Care Professions (HSCPs), preventing the replacement of any staff member that leaves their position. This issue was raised at the most recent Council meeting in Carrick-on-Shannon by Cllr Ita Reynolds-Flynn.

In a proposed motion to the Council, Cllr Reynolds-Flynn requested that Leitrim County Council write to the Minister of Health, Stephen Donnelly TD and the HSE to ask for the current employment embargo to be lifted.

The proposal was seconded by Cllr Mary Bohan.

“The issue of home help in the community came up a lot on the doorsteps. There is a need for more home help,” Cllr Reynolds-Flynn said.

“We are aware that there are people in hospital and they can't be released because there is no one to look after them at home and there's no home help.

“Another issue with this is of course the embargo on the HSE that needs to be lifted,” she said.

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Cllr Reynolds-Flynn also described how the current requirements to become a carer are too difficult, which may be deterring people from entering the profession.

“If you want to become a carer now, you really have to do a level six or level seven course to take care of the elderly before you can be employed.

“I'm aware of a course that started with approximately 30 people in attendance and by the end of the nine months, only four had just finished it.

“I think they're making it too complicated for people to become carers.

“They're going to have to look at making more carer jobs available because it is a need in the community, and I'm calling on the Minister and the HSE to lift the embargo and to really look at the level of qualifications required to become a carer.”

Cllr Bohan argued that the issue in the home help sector isn't primarily due to the embargo, but rather a lack of sufficient staff in the field.

“I don't know if the embargo is having an effect on providing the care, I don't think it is in that particular case. I know people that have been allocated home help hours and there's just nobody to do it,” Cllr Bohan said.

“I think there needs to be some incentive for home help, to go into that profession because they're just not there at the moment.”

Cathaoirleach Cllr Paddy O'Rourke also raised the issue of road conditions affecting access for home help.

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“I know people who have declined because of road conditions in certain areas, and families have been put on notice. It goes to show how all of these things are interlinked and mitigated against rural people,” he said.

Cllr Reynolds-Flynn's motion was supported across the board.