It’s no secret that carers are often viewed as the unsung heroes of healthcare. It became even more evident during a talk given by Professor Martin Green, Chief Executive of Care England, in which he highlighted the opportunities and challenges faced by those providing care and the unfortunate message that the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care inadvertently sends by only wearing an NHS lapel badge.
That very same day, an idea was born from a need to raise the public profile of social care and to raise awareness and appreciation for the 1 in 8 UK employees who are carers. That day was 19th March 2019 and the idea was the CARE badge, a unifying symbol of pride and quality in care.
There are 2 million social care workers and 7 million more unpaid carers juggling their work commitments with looking after a family member in the UK today. With each one caring for at least one person, that means over a quarter of the population is either providing or receiving care outside of a hospital environment every day.
These social care champions deliver this service every day, no matter if it’s a holiday for the rest of the population, or if the weather is adverse and travel is difficult. Unfortunately, they often do so with minimal or no financial reward and without the public interest, recognition and support that other care professionals reasonably enjoy.
Social care is also a huge net contributor to the UK economy and as one leading care provider recently commented, if the sector stopped operating tomorrow, the societal and economic impacts would be catastrophic. It’s time now to make a change before any of this can happen.
So, how do I get my CARE badge? Simple. CARE badge orders can be made online by employers, for distribution for free to their employees and customers. Badge purchasers also receive a high definition CARE badge logo for use alongside their own marketing. All profits from badge sales are distributed to care-related charities selected by those who do the caring. This is a great opportunity for leading UK companies to show that they too CARE.
We hope that everyONE joins us in proudly wearing the CARE badge. Together we can raise money for care charities and make sure carers feel appreciated for the incredible work they do day in, day out.
Share your own care stories on social media, start conversations about the quality care benefitting the nation and help raise the profile of this crucial service and the esteem in which both it and its participants should be held.
You can find everything you need to know about the CARE badge here. Make sure to follow the CARE badge on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn for updates and to be a part of others care stories.
By Robin Batchelor, Chairman of everyLIFE and Co-founder of the CARE badge & Shara Berrio, Digital Marketing ExecutiveÂ
