Role guide · Care staff
Care work is a twelve-hour physical job done at close quarters with vulnerable people — the uniform has to survive hoisting and hot washes, meet infection-control policy, and still look approachable at a resident's breakfast table. That's a real specification, and here's the kit that meets it.
The list
| Item | Spec | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tunic or scrub top ×3–5 | Poly-cotton rated for 60 °C washing | Tunics for resident-facing homes; scrubs where changing on site |
| Trousers ×2–3 | Comfort-stretch, full movement | Hoisting and floor work are gym movements — cut for them |
| Footwear | Washable upper, slip-rated sole, cushioned | Twelve hours on hard flooring; spills happen |
| Fleece or cardigan | Uniform-coded, removable | For corridors and breaks — off during personal care |
| Community layer | Softshell + ID visibility | Domiciliary rounds make the car part of the workplace |
The policy items
Most care providers run a bare-below-the-elbow policy during personal care: short sleeves, no wristwatch, minimal rings — because forearms and cuffs are what touch people and surfaces, and they're what handwashing has to reach. For the wardrobe, that means short-sleeved tunics as the base garment and warm layers designed to come off easily and go back on between tasks, not knitwear worn through care duties.
The other policy reality is laundering: uniforms need washing at the temperature policy states — commonly 60 °C — which is why care tunics are poly-cotton blends built for it, and why three to five sets isn't generous, it's the minimum that lets a worker change after a soiled shift and still have kit for tomorrow.
Often missed
Questions
Three to five, assuming uniforms are washed after each shift as most policies require. Fewer than three means a single soiled shift breaks the rotation. Trousers follow at two to three pairs.
During personal care tasks: short sleeves, no wristwatch or bracelets, and minimal rings, so hands and forearms can be washed effectively and cuffs don't transfer between people. Kit-wise it means short-sleeved tunics as standard and warm layers that come off easily between tasks.
Washable uppers, slip-rated soles, closed toes and real cushioning. Care shifts run long on hard floors and involve spills — trainers-style washable shoes purpose-made for healthcare do the job; fabric fashion trainers don't survive the mop-bucket reality.
Usually yes for corridors, handover and breaks — coded to the uniform — but off during personal care under bare-below-the-elbow policies. Buy layers on that assumption: easy on, easy off, washable with the rest of the kit.
Either way the kit list is the same — send the role and the headcount and we'll price it, embroidered.