Tamara Beattie, 31, from Fife, worked in a private care home for nine years and is now an agency worker in the sector.
The picture she paints of the care home sector is grim.
Like many care workers, Tamara, who has a four-year-old daughter, has to balance 12-hour shifts with her duties as a parent.
She says many have simply given up due to stress and mental health issues.
Tamara, who is also a rep for the GMB union, said: "I worked in a private care home for nine years before I left to join an agency and continue to work in care homes so l am still working in care homes.
"But a lot of the people are women who are asked to do 12-hour shifts and can't afford childcare.
"Half of the staff have left to work in the NHS or to go and work in Aldi because they get paid more and have less stress." Tamara is one of those who believes the Scottish Government must do more to regulate private care homes who get away with running their facilities while putting their residents and their staff at risk.
Tamara said: "A lot of the private care homes are very understaffed and a lot of people are off sick due to being overworked, stress and mental health issues.
"There have been times I've gone into a 30-bed unit with only two staff members on despite some peop...
The picture she paints of the care home sector is grim.
Like many care workers, Tamara, who has a four-year-old daughter, has to balance 12-hour shifts with her duties as a parent.
She says many have simply given up due to stress and mental health issues.
Tamara, who is also a rep for the GMB union, said: "I worked in a private care home for nine years before I left to join an agency and continue to work in care homes so l am still working in care homes.
"But a lot of the people are women who are asked to do 12-hour shifts and can't afford childcare.
"Half of the staff have left to work in the NHS or to go and work in Aldi because they get paid more and have less stress." Tamara is one of those who believes the Scottish Government must do more to regulate private care homes who get away with running their facilities while putting their residents and their staff at risk.
Tamara said: "A lot of the private care homes are very understaffed and a lot of people are off sick due to being overworked, stress and mental health issues.
"There have been times I've gone into a 30-bed unit with only two staff members on despite some peop...
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Daily Record (Digital) - 1 Issue, March 24, 2025