TWO care agencies have launched major recruitment drives as the industry responds to a surge in elderly people needing help.

The East Lancashire branch of Home Instead Senior Care is planning to double is workforce, with the creation of 30 new jobs, while Carewatch Colne is looking for 15 new staff.

As life expectancy rises, there is an increasing need for carers to look after the growing number of over-65s.

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But with many firms only offering the minimum wage of £6.50, bosses often struggle to recruit the right people for the job.

Peter Catlow, who runs the Home Instead branch, said his firm pays a basic salary of £7 per hour, plus mileage costs, in order to try and attract better staff.

But he added: “What we’re finding is a shortage of carers we want to work with, who have the empathy and skills we want.

“A lot of people come into care because it’s a job, but we are looking for certain people who really want to care, and perhaps bring people into the sector who haven’t necessarily worked in it before. And we can offer anything from four or five hours a week, right up to 34 hours.

“We’re offering more than the normal salary, but many companies have to get people on the minimum wage because councils are squeezing their contracts.”

He added that some firms now offer bonuses to staff who can squeeze in several home visits within an hour, which means carers are often rushing and cannot deliver the same quality of service.

Lesley Barnes, branch manager at Carewatch Colne, said: “Quality care and support workers are key to our organisation’s services, but we need to recruit more if we are to meet the challenges of the UK’s ageing population.”

The company refused to specify its basic salary, saying it is ‘largely dependent on experience and expertise’.