UK Care Week partner, The Care Workers’ Charity (CWC), was founded in 2009 with the objective of supporting current and former care workers with one-off crisis grants. Since 2020 the charity has paid out over £6.1 million in Grants to over 12,100 care workers in need. This is Ellie’s story.

Ellie, a dedicated domiciliary care worker in Scotland, has always had a passion for caring for others. Inspired by her experience looking after her Granny until she passed away, Ellie decided to pursue a career in care. She now works full time, primarily with elderly clients, visiting them in their homes.

“I work as a domiciliary care worker in Scotland. I looked after my Granny until she passed away and I just thought that working in care would be something I’d enjoy. I work with mostly elderly clients and see them in their homes,” Ellie shares.

Despite her love for her job, Ellie faced a significant challenge when her partner had a serious accident at work, leaving him unable to walk or stand properly. This meant Ellie had to become a caregiver at home as well, assisting her partner with daily tasks such as getting dressed and bathing. “My partner wasn’t able to walk or stand properly and had to have help with lots of day-to-day stuff, like getting dressed and bathing. I had to reduce my hours so that I could look after him. We lost his income and some of mine for seven weeks, which left us struggling to pay the rent,” Ellie explains. Faced with financial difficulties, Ellie considered taking out a payday loan but decided to reach out to The Care Workers' Charity instead. She applied for a grant and was relieved when her application was successful.

“It took some pressure off us. We’d never owed money before and being behind with our rent really played on my mind. I was already worrying about my partner’s health,” says Ellie. Fortunately, Ellie's partner made a good recovery and was able to return to work. Ellie also picked up extra hours, and the couple is now back on their feet. “The grant was easy to apply for and stopped me from getting further into debt with a payday loan,” Ellie adds.

The Care Workers' Charity provided Ellie with the financial support she needed during a challenging time, preventing her from falling into debt and helping her maintain stability. The charity continues to offer vital assistance to care workers facing crises, ensuring they receive the support they need to carry on their essential work.

To find out more information about The Care Worker’s Charity, visit the Get Help page.