wages for health care assistants?

deb moyles

hi just trying to find out what is the average rate of pay for health care assistants in the private and public sectors in ireland. can't find any figures on the net for the irish rates of pay
thanks a million

QuiteInterestin

Heres a link to a HSE website,

http://www.hseea.ie/subNav.aspx?pid=payConditions

It gives links to the pay scales for all positions within the HSE for the last few years. From what I can tell, in the HSE, health care assistants start on €28,420 increasing to a max of €32,906. Don't know anything about the private sector I'm afraid or what qualifications are required for working in either.

orchidsrpretty

In private nursing homes, it can vary from as little as Min wage to some places that will be pay the HSE rates. The average would for private would prob be around 11-13E P.H

Most places also require that you hold at least a Level 5 Fetac course due to HIQA.

panda100

orchidsrpretty wrote: »

In private nursing homes, it can vary from as little as Min wage to some places that will be pay the HSE rates. The average would for private would prob be around 11-13E P.H

Most places also require that you hold at least a Level 5 Fetac course due to HIQA.

Average for private sector would be €9.50 to €11 per hour. I've worked in countless private nursing homes, even during the Celtic Tiger and never earned more than that.Most do not give extra pay for weekend work as it is a requisite for your position.

In most places you will have to work an 8 to 8 shift, and an unpaid hour lunch break. Its very tough work, both physically and emotionally, and I really don't think the wages reflect the work care assistants do. There is a high turnover of staff in private nursing homes for that reason, and thats why there is always a massive amount of vacancies for HCA on job websites.

The public sector is much better but it is very difficult to get jobs in a public hospital or nursing home. Generally the HSE rates are €13.50/hour, going up to €16/hour for work done after 8pm. Saturdays are paid at a time and a fifth, and Sunday is double pay.

For the majority of private nursing homes you do not need to have a FETAC course as they usually provide training for it. I never had one and always got plenty of work.

horse7

its strange this company says it payes hse rates,but its just 10.35euro an hour for daytime hours. see http://www.nurseoncall.ie/guide-to-pay-rates.25.html

Kavo368

Hi, I started off on €9.50p/h in a nursing home, it was my first job, then I moved into homecare on €10.00p/h which was not worth it when you take into account petrol and how long you have to wait to build up enough clients to keep yourself afloat. (Most of the larger homecare companies give approx. €12.00p/h) My last job in a nursing home took quite a substantial jump in pay to €11.00p/h.

The HSE have an internship scheme to take on care assistants, the first year rate is approx. €21,000p/a and second year is approx. €22,000p/a. The catch is you have to have numerous years experience so a lot of the time people have to take large pay cuts and leave a secure job in a nursing home in order to take up an internship that may or may not give you a job at the end of the two years. However, care assistants (not interns) who work for the HSE earn equal to or more than what QUALIFIED NURSES in nursing home earn.

I hope this has been helpful and has provided at least some insight as to what you were hoping to learn.