Charlotte Goddard talks to Blue Sky Social Care Card founder Raj Johal about the benefits the service offers to care workers

When care workers feel undervalued, both in terms of financial reward and the value placed on their role by society, the sector struggles to recruit and retain staff. Carers often feel they lack the recognition given to staff in the health sector, for example. When retailers and other organisations offer discounts to ‘forces and front line workers’, care workers may struggle to offer identification to prove they qualify.

That’s why Raj Johal, executive director at Blue Sky Brokers, decided to launch the Blue Sky Social Care Card, which acts as both an employee ID card and a passport to discounts and offers aimed at front line workers. Care workers undergo a robust vetting process to ensure they are eligible before being issued the card, which is open to everyone providing care, including personal assistants, unpaid carers and all those working in care homes and home care companies.

“We have checks in place to ensure carers are verified and vetted, and we find the card is accepted and recognised by retailers because of that,” says Johal. “It has been a good way for unpaid carers to be recognised as official carers.”

For many carers, just being recognised for what they do can give a real emotional boost, even without the discounts and offers they can access. Last year Blue Sky created a card for TV presenter Kate Garraway, as she was caring for her husband Derek Draper who sadly died earlier this year after a battle with Long Covid. “Her reaction proved how important recognition really is,” says Johal. “She was so happy and felt appreciated, and to see that was lovely, because she deserved it. That is what we feel about all the unpaid carers.”

“Self-employed carers are often overlooked when it comes to being recognised in social care,” says Maria Tomlinson, founder of the Professional Carers Network. “For example, the Blue Light discount scheme allows carers to join, but not self-employed carers, so it was great to find a company that values self-employed carers and offers them the chance to get discounts too.”  

Care home and home care workers can also purchase the card, which costs £5 a year, on an individual basis. Alternatively, employers can provide it to staff as an incentive and form of identification, adding their own logo and taking it back when employees leave the company. “The Blue Sky Card has truly been indispensable for our staff, serving not only as a dependable form of identification but also providing substantial discounts,” says Vanessa Morales, care co-ordinator at Nationwide Care Services, which provides home care and supported living facilities.

Blue Sky Card holders are able to access an app with offers and discounts from retailers such as The Body Shop, Parkdean Resorts and JD Sports. The card is usually accepted by high street retailers and other services which offer ‘forces and front line’ discounts, says Johal. Users have been flagging up successful uses of the card across the UK in specific locations on an interactive map, which currently shows more than 200 individual outlets where the card has been accepted, including branches of Starbucks, River Island, Nando’s, New Look and The Perfume Shop.

Blue Sky Card, which is recognised by Skills for Care and the Local Government Association, has signed up a number of partners. “When we partner with an organisation, we can issue cards to members once we verified their membership, because they have already been vetted by the partner organisation,” explains Johal. Partners include the National Association of Care and Support Workers and ILF Scotland, which provides funding for disabled people in Scotland and Northern Ireland to help them lead a more independent life. ILF Scotland has signed up to reimburse its funding recipients who buy the card as a perk for their personal assistants.

However, Johal is keen to get the bigger care home providers signed up to the scheme. “We are waiting for the bigger fish to come forward,” she says. “It is a tax-deductible cost, because this is seen as a work ID card, so it is a work expense. Care managers have told me they give their team vouchers for Christmas – but with the card you can give £5 and it goes a lot further in terms of savings.”

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