Thousands of staff are needed Matthias Zomer from Pexels
An urgent appeal has been launched for thousands of new care staff as part of a mass recruitment drive across the North West.
The ‘Be A #CareHero’ campaign – which has been aiming to combat the care home staffing crisis throughout the pandemic – is encouraging local people to come forward and apply for a wide variety of roles looking after the region’s most vulnerable people.
The North West is currently in need of an estimated 5,000 staff members following increased and consistent pressure on health services and hospitals.
Adult social care organisations across the region are now recruiting en masse to ensure essential care is given to those that need it most.
No previous experience is necessarily required for caring roles – but ideal candidates should be “kind, caring and compassionate people who possess good communication skills.”
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Roles are currently available in Bolton, Bury, Salford, Stockport and Wigan boroughs in Greater Manchester.
More positions are also open in Cheshire, Lancashire, Halton and Liverpool.
Delyth Curtis, Deputy Chief Executive of Cheshire West and Chester Council said the region was “on a collective mission to recruit people” during the pandemic.
She added: “Care Heroes will form part of a national effort to bolster the workforce and showcase the importance of joining social care right now.
“We have a staffing shortage of almost 5,000 people in the North West so we’re very keen to hear from people who could help us reverse the impact.
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“Working as a care worker is an incredibly rewarding job and will really suit people who are kind, caring and compassionate, and who have good communication skills. If you think this is you, then please do get in touch.”
Rules in facilities are also being gradually relaxed, and from March 8 care homes residents will be allowed meet with one regular visitor on the premises.
Family pay tribute to father-of-two killed in Rochdale plane crash
Daisy Jackson
The family of a man killed in a light aircraft crash in Rochdale have paid tribute to a ‘deeply loving father and devoted husband’.
36-year-old Arian Abbasi was one of two men killed when an aircraft crashed into farmland in Littleborough in Rochdale last week, after travelling from Birmingham.
Emergency services rushed to the scene shortly after 11am on Tuesday 3 February, but sadly pronounced both men dead at the scene.
It’s believed there was no one else on board the aircraft, and there were no reported injuries on the ground.
Now, Arian’s family have issued a moving tribute to him. He was a pilot from Harrow in Greater London.
They described him as being a ‘deeply loving’ family man, whose passion was flying.
He was about to embark on a new chapter with a commercial airline in just a few weeks’ time.
His family said: “He lived his life for his family and friends, giving them his constant love, strength, and support.
“Flying was his passion, and he was on the brink of beginning an exciting new chapter with a commercial airline on 23 February; a dream he had worked toward with immense pride and determination.”
GMP investigations are now focused on finding part of the parachute system which contains propellant and hasn’t yet been located.
Finding the device has been ‘very difficult’ due to the nature of the terrain and the wide area over which it may have travelled.
It measures approximately 10 cm in diameter and 30 cm long and has a red anodised finish. It weighs less than 2 kg. It may have a silver metal collar attached at one end.
GMP said: “Please do not handle the device if you see it. If discovered, contact the police immediately via 101 or our Live Chat at gmp.police.uk, quoting log 1056 of 03/02/26.”
Homeless children in Greater Manchester will now get free bus travel to and from school
Emily Sergeant
Children who are currently living in temporary housing in Greater Manchester are set to get extra support with school travel.
In a move that was announced by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) at the end of last week, and following years of campaigning, homeless children living in temporary accommodation are now set to get free school travel on all Bee Network buses.
TfGM says it understands that some children end up a long way from their school when placed into temporary accommodation, and this leaves parents or carers with the difficult choice of either having to move them to a closer school, which ultimately disrupts their education, or having to pay unexpected travel costs.
While the Greater Manchester Strategy – which is the plan for the city region’s next decade – commits to reducing the number of families and children in temporary accommodation, and measures are also being taken to make sure residents have the support they need to ‘access, improve, and retain’ a decent, affordable home, this doesn’t tackle the immediate issue.
Homeless children in Greater Manchester will now get free school bus travel / Credit: TfGM
So, to help those families when they ‘need it most’, free bus travel to and from school is set to be provided, as subject to approval of this year’s Combined Authority budget.
The move comes after Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham asked TfGM last year to look at options to help with the cost of travel.
“Using our locally-controlled Bee Network buses to support families when they need it most is the right thing to do,” Andy Burnham commented.
Of course, the long-term solution is no kids in TA and we’re working with our councils to achieve this in the next few years.
We can do it because GM will soon hit the point where we are building more council and social homes every year than we’re losing through right-to-buy. 👍🏻
“A move into temporary accommodation is often a massive upheaval for families and can be a worrying time. With this measure, the cost of travel to school will be one less thing for families to worry about.
“It will mean parents and carers don’t have to choose between an extra demand on their household budget and keeping their children with friends and teachers they know and trust.”
The Manc -
23rd February 2021 
