THE FORMER CHANCELLOR

The former Chancellor, Ed Balls, whose mother has dementia and has been in a care home for three years, has worked himself as a carer in a care home.

All credit to him. He has brought more publicity to the role.

He told BBC Radio 4 that the experience was invaluable, and that he regretted that as Chancellor, his government had not sorted out the funding for the sector.

He then went on to describe the work he did at the home, how scared he was to do it, and how skilled the work was.

This is all true, except that the work he did – washing and creaming a lady’s legs – is not particularly highly skilled. It doesn’t require much training or significant qualifications.

Where Mr Balls absolutely hit the nail on the head is where he pointed out that the value brought by a good carer is in the empathy, the feel for the client, the desire to maintain their dignity.

It is this, that we should focus on. People who can do this should be highly valued by society.