GRASSINGTON businessman David Sexton found himself with spare time during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic and instinct told him to do something to help his community.

The solution came easily when he clicked a social media link and found himself applying for a role as a relief care worker for North Yorkshire - and the job has been so rewarding he has no intention of giving it up.

David, 49, has a self-catering holiday business and last year, because of lock-downs, he found he had time on his hands.

He joined a care team which helps people return to an independent lifestyle after illness or accident - and has discovered a second career with a different set of rewards to running a business.

He said: “I came in because of Covid, it was an opportunity to do my bit. I am self-employed with a self-catering holiday business and because of Covid I had more spare time.

“At that time things were chaotic and it was suggested more people were needed. I clicked a link, everything was fast-tracked and it went from there.”

He says the care provided by his team is completely invaluable, and that no shift or visit is ever quite the same. Tasks can vary from assisting with walking aids to collecting prescriptions and more personal care.

“When you have done whatever it is, and achieved whatever they need, you feel a lot better,” he said.

While David averages just one or two shifts each week, leaving time for his other commitments, he brings flexibility to the role.

“When I am asked to cover, I try to cover as much as I can. The job is about trying to make people feel better,” he said.

So while it was the national health emergency which persuaded him into the job, he has no intention now of stepping back from the work.

On January 20, North Yorkshire County Council launched Make Care Matter - a major recruitment drive, with advertisements appearing in newspapers, on television and on radio.

The voices, images and film of people who use care services and those who work in care, across the county have helped kickstart the campaign at a critical time for the care sector.

County councillor Michael Harrison, executive member for adult social care and health integration, said: “This is both a critical and an opportune time for people to join the care workforce and to build a rewarding career for themselves in this vitally important work.

“From the word go, you can make a big difference to somebody’s life in this job; the work that you do really counts towards improving lives and no two days are the same.”

The recruitment drive also comes at a time when the county council is calling for a sea-change in the status of the social care workforce.

“More people work in social care than in the NHS, around the clock in people’s homes, in care homes and other services, supporting people and changing lives for the better,” said Cllr Harrison.

“They make a fundamental contribution to our society and they can also join a great career path, with opportunities in every community. You can make a difference on your doorstep.

“We have launched this recruitment drive to bolster the care workforce at a time when we need care workers more than ever before. It is also a chance to celebrate the great work that care workers do by using their voices – and those of people who use care services - for this campaign.”

The county council provides training, flexibility, practical help and clear career progression but is now calling for national government to review the status of the social care workforce.

Cllr Harrison said: “It is time for a sea-change. When we clapped for carers at the height of the pandemic in 2020 , that wasn’t just about the NHS, important as that is. More people work in social care than in the NHS and they work around the clock, just like the NHS, often in people’s homes.

“We would like to see a national review of pay and status. We want to see proper recognition of care workers as professionals, as we do for doctors and nurses: their roles are just as vital”.

By way of saying thank you to the care workforce the county council, along with the county’s two NHS integrated care systems, is making a one-off pay bonus of around £300 to each of North Yorkshire’s 16,000 frontline care workers, paid between now and March.

Cllr Harrison said: “Care professionals are a great and diverse band of people who do fantastic work across the county to make life better in whatever way they can for people: our neighbours, our family members, our friends.

“It is far more than just a job.

“It’s about building relationship and supporting people, often with fascinating life stories, to live well and with dignity. And at crisis points in people’s lives, it is about providing care and compassion and help”.

North Yorkshire County Council has for many years managed social care recruitment both for its own workforce and for the county’s independent and voluntary sector providers. But it is grappling with a three per cent contraction in the overall workforce due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and fierce labour market competition at a time of unprecedented demand on the sector.

As a result it has stepped up a targeted recruitment campaign in two phases – the first last November, which attracted 450 applicants who are currently going through the recruitment process, with the main thrust of the campaign to begin this month.

The campaign has been backed by the region’s provider organisation, The Independent Care Group (ICG).

You can find out more and apply for jobs across the care sector directly on the council’s Make Care Matter recruitment website www.makecarematter.co.uk