The Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and leading healthcare providers Skillnet have launched a white paper on the future of home support work, which offers strategic recommendations to policymakers, educators, researchers, home support provider organisations, and home support workers to expand workforce capacity and capabilities in response to Ireland’s increasingly ageing population. Currently, more than one-in-five people are aged over 65, and this figure is expected to reach at least one-in-four by 2051.
The Economic and Social Research Institute predicts that demand for home care services could increase by 50 per cent by 2035, which will translate to an additional 20,000 jobs and the development of new roles within the homecare sector.
The white paper proposes the establishment of four knowledge workstreams to address the competency framework for home support, multipronged solutions to workforce development, integration of digital technology and data, and the engagement of stakeholders and expertise throughout the process. A minimum framework for implementation of 18 months is outlined, alongside detailed steps for delivery.
Prof Mark White, Executive Dean, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, RCSI, said the paper is founded on “extensive robust research and stakeholder engagement”, and that home support workers “deserve a career framework that equips them and rewards them for their experience, knowledge and skills”.
Dr Mary Boyd, Dean, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, RCSI, added: “The Board of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery is proud to be associated with this credible and timely research. Providing an expert research and evaluation service is part of what we do and the findings in this report will most certainly influence the development of the home support sector going forward.”
