User and Carer Experiences of International Social Care Workers in England: Listening to their Accounts of Choice and Control

This paper develops a typology of people using social care services’ preferences for care

workers and satisfaction with social care services from a large multimethod study that

explored international recruitment to the English social care sector (home and health

care, including residential homes). We developed this typology with two questions in

mind: (a) what led to satisfaction of care and (b) what led to preference and satisfaction

with workers? Data were collected from face-to-face interviews with 35 people who were

using social care services and carers (2007-2009) and these data were used to develop the

typology. Using the theoretical concept of homophily, we explored contentions that people

might prefer to receive care and support from individuals resembling themselves. We

observed that preferences for care workers and satisfaction with social care services may

be linked, but highlighted that the concept of meeting a preference is personal to the

individual. The implications of users’ preferences for certain care workers at a time where

policy is promoting greater consumer-led care or self-directed support are discussed.