Wouldn't you wonder though how people like this get jobs in care homes in the first place, and keep them - when so many people are out of work? I know at least two people who are highly trained care workers - and have been unable to get work because they don't have "paid experience". All they have is the work placement (six months unpaid work experience) they had to do while on their college training course. And that's part of the reason they can't get work - one of them told me that from what he's seen here, a lot of care homes are using students on work placement to supplement their staff, as they don't have to pay them. They are not supposed to count them as part of their staff/resident ratio, but they do. And once their six months placement is up, they have to leave as there is "no job available" - and after a short interval, more students are given work experience places.