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Executive Summary
1. INTRODUCTION
The Scottish Executive launched a communications
campaign in October 2002 to improve public perceptions of
the care sector and to promote it as a potential career. A
tracking exercise was established to monitor the impact of
this campaign in terms of both awareness of the campaign
and its effect on public attitudes. A preliminary wave of
research was conducted in July 2002, followed by a wave of
research in November 2002. This document reports on the
latest research, conducted in March 2004, following further
campaign activity.
2. KEY FINDINGS
- A similar number of respondents across the 3 waves
had used care services in Scotland (45% at this latest
wave)
- 40% claimed to have seen advertising on the subject
of care services/social work recently (39% at wave
2)
- Although
TV remains the dominant media
recalled (54%), 31% claimed to have seen advertising in
newspapers and 8% had encountered poster and radio
adverts
- Overall 21% had seen press/poster adverts. The most
recognised press/poster advert featured the pram (see
Appendix 1)
- There remains no clear public understanding of
occupations within the care services. Home carer and
social worker were the most widely mentioned (66% and
49% spontaneously)
- There remains no differentiation in terms of the
appeal of public service occupations. The appeal of
all, with the exception of nursing, has fallen since
wave 2, whilst the appeal of care services specifically
is slightly weaker, decreasing from 62% to 60% since
wave 2
- There have been some improvements over the 3 waves
regarding the impression of care services, although
these trends are not statistically significant. These
include '
working in care services is an interesting and
varied career' and '
I would encourage someone I know to work in care
services'
- There is still a high level of agreement with the
statement '
workers in the care service do a very worthwhile
job' (95% agreement)
- There has been little change during the three waves
with those agreeing that '
there is too much pressure and stress on people who
work in care services' (73% agreed at both this
wave and the previous wave)
- Agreement with the statement '
workers are poorly paid for the work they do'
has increased slightly during this wave from 71% at the
previous wave to 75%
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