Career identities and precarious work: frontline homecare workers

Townsend-Jackson, Fay

Abstract

This thesis examines the concepts of career identities and precarious work for frontline homecare workers through the academic lens of identity work. This period covered the Covid pandemic, which changed the landscape of how frontline workers are seen in relation to the importance of their work. This was a significant and notable change for them as a group and the research managed to capture how the participants viewed and experienced their role in this context during this process of change.
The research was informed by a subjectivist ontology, a social-constructivist epistemology, and was conducted as insider led research, following a mono method of interviews. Offering valuable insight into how a group of homecare workers view role and their methods of being effective in their role. This is helpful to develop an understanding of how this group see themselves and make sense of what they are being asked to do by their organisation and management team.
Being an insider created opportunities, such as having access to specific groups that other researchers may not gain so freely and easily. It allowed for a natural understanding of the subject from myself as the researcher to the participants, and this offered a more relaxed and natural sharing of data. I understand their world to some extent and thus, can encourage them to talk freely and feel understood. I acknowledge that my role as the owner of a homecare business may create the potential for bias within my research. However, I approached this study with a commitment to ethical conduct, transparency and impartiality. I sought to prioritise the well-being and experiences of homecare workers to ensure their voices are heard following the pandemic, to foster change in the homecare industry. 25 frontline home care workers participated in the qualitative semi-structured interview study. The interviews were completed in early 2021 via MS Teams. Participants were very open, honest, and happy to talk to me about their careers and their working role.
When discussing their role and work identity, the participants placed particular emphasis on being proud to be a carer, being respected for the work they were doing, and building new responsibilities into their existing role. This contrasts with some pre-pandemic literature that conceptualised homecare as ‘dirty work’. The participants were less interested in job titles and promotions into a more senior role, and spoke of developing their exiting roles. Moreover, issues stemming from the nature of their work, such a precarious working hours were accepted by them as part of their role with several participants focusing more on the positives of this in terms of flexibility and offering person centred care rather than the negatives.
Based on the research the author makes seven action-based (SMART) recommendations to managers in the sector relating to: (1) valuing homecare workers professional identity; (2) offering training beyond the basic competencies; (3) allowing homecare staff to develop a dyadic relationship with customers; (4) encouraging other relevant professionals to value homecare workers as a valuable resource; (5) supporting person-centred care and giving staff some autonomy in this regard; (6) following regulations; and (7) providing intrinsic rewards to staff (e.g. a level of autonomy over decision making).

Citation

Townsend-Jackson, F. Career identities and precarious work: frontline homecare workers. (Thesis). Edinburgh Napier University

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Sep 4, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 4, 2024
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.17869/enu.2024.3789825
• Award Date: Jul 4, 2024