Direct care staff who are frequently looking for a bargain, are a major problem for house supervisors, and can limit the quality of care of residents in supported accommodation group homes, through causing inconsistency of care level and quality Work shifts for direct care staff in group homes have a bevy of variable factors, with endless degrees of attractiveness or otherwise.

Most attraction is the remuneration – penalty rates! Other factors to be considered are, the hours, one’s personal needs outside the job, the residents, residents’ medical appointments, the staff, the amount of paperwork, the house supervisor, the expectations, the managers and the residents’ families – to name but a few

Where staff are rostered-on unattractive shifts, they can find a reason not to do these, and to seek more attractive extra hours shifts.

Many unattractive shifts could be made far more attractive, if remuneration was made directly proportional to the degree of difficulty and stress......

"Who would work in a challenging behaviour situation, when the same remuneration is offered for a low support situation?"