PEDRO: So how much is your overtime pay?
--------:£5.93 and if it's bank holiday it will be £11.50
--------:£5.93 and if it's bank holiday it will be £11.50
PEDRO: What is your name?
-----: Is that really necessary?
PEDRO: Not really.
PEDRO: What is your work here in the UK?
-----: Caregiver.
PEDRO: What is your job back home?
-----: I've graduated journalism.
PEDRO: Where did you work before?
-----: In one of the prestigious newspaper company in Cebu.
PEDRO: So you mean you came from Cebu?
-----: Definitely yes.
PEDRO: Why did you leave your job back home?
-----: Cause i need enough and sustainable income for my children. My eldest is pursuing his college degree next year. For me going abroad is a way of solving my financial problem. So, i did grab the opportunity since it says opportunity knocks only once. I did heard a hearsay and advises from friends but i just disregard it for i thought they were just a native Filipinos who is having a crab mentality.
PEDRO: How many years you've been here in the UK?
-----: I've been here for 8 months already. How about you, how many years you'd been here?
PEDRO: For just a few months. Does being a caregiver had a good income?
-----: Let's say just enough. I did had savings for the tuition of my child next year. There is a difference compared to my salary before, it's much much more.
PEDRO: ahhhh , ok, So how did you start your day?
-----:I woke up at around 6:30 in the morning then i do my morning rituals. Around 7:30 i should be on the side walk.
PEDRO: What time do you have to time in?
-----:8:00am. I'm just leaving not far from the nursing home that I worked. It takes just about 30mins walk from my workplace. For me it's a very best practical idea for I don't need to commute and spend a penny going to work. Also if there is an extra duty (such as my colleague(s) is absent for instance) then my nursing home prioritized to phone me first because I'm just very near.
PEDRO: So how about if you are going to be late, what's the possible penalty?
-----: It's just an hour deduction from my salary.
PEDRO: How much is your rate per hour?
-----: £5.93
PEDRO: How many hours you have to work per day?
-----: I have to work 12 hours per day, but my contract is 44 hours per week. Thus i exceeded my contract hours for I worked 60 hours a week.
PEDRO: Then you got an overtime fee?
-----: Definitely yes.
PEDRO: So how much is your overtime pay?
-----: £8.90 and if it's bank holiday it will be £11.50
PEDRO: So how did you do your job?
-----: My job starts with washing the face and the body of the patient using the flannels in warm water with soap. If the resident is immobile or let's say bedridden, then i have to render the personal care while she / he in bed. But if one is fully mobile, so it's very easy, better to put him/her in the commode.
PEDRO: What thus commode mean?
-----: It's just resembled a toilet bowl but with wheels like a wheel chair but they do have holes in the middle with pan underneath.
PEDRO: So what you have to do next?
-----: You have to transfer the resident from their room to the lounge wherein they have to spend their day. Here in UK we usually call the patient a resident. Then to move a patient from one place to another is very tricky at times, because unlike us Filipinos the Caucasian race and Blacks are much much more heavier.
PEDRO: If that would be the case then what you would have to do?
-----: I will use the hoist.
PEDRO: What is that?
-----: It's like a miniature crain, we called it here a machine used to move or transfer a resident from bed to chair, chair to bed, chair to chair and during toileting time. Unfortunately it wasn't been portrayed in the movie caregiver by Ate Shawie. .(laugh and giggle)
PEDRO: What time is your break?
-----: If you finished early then usually 10 am.
PEDRO: How many minutes your allowable break?
-----: 30 mins each break for three breaks. One in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening. So, in a day you can have 1 hour and 30 minutes just for the break.
PEDRO: At least how many resident as what you always call them you need to do before you can go for your break?
-----: At least 5 or 6 but sometimes it depends upon the staffing for that specific day.
PEDRO: How many residents or i mean the bed capacity your nursing home have?
-----: 36.. Fortunately we're having 6 to 8 carers excluding the nurse.
PEDRO: So what time is your lunch break?
-----: Our lunch break is always not on time, usually after 1:30 pm because we need to feed the residents first before we can eat.
PEDRO: "Pasmo!"
-----: A big yes!
PEDRO: ....he he he, So what is your time out?
-----: 8:30pm.... I need to leave you now for my friends were here.
PEDRO: Are all your friends came from Cebu?
-----: Not all...
How about you? Where you came from?PEDRO: BAIS
-----: Negros?.. ok bye!
PEDRO: Yes... ok see you soon and thanks for your precious time answering some of my questions.