How did you get in to care?
Before I worked in care I worked in a large supermarket for 7 years. I was really unhappy with how they treated people and had no appreciation for what we were doing. I needed a change in my life as I wanted job satisfaction.
My wife worked for the care company I work at now, in the operations department. It took her 2 years to convince me to apply because I was afraid of not being able to do this job. I have a degree in bio-science and that was also part of the reason I came here. What I did in university was laboratory based, where this is also like research as I am learning from service users who have particular illnesses and conditions. I would like to work in researching cancer cures in the future.
What opportunities have you had to progress?
Even though I have only been here a year, I am going to complete a registered manager training course that the care company I work at have offered me, so I can learn important management skills which I am starting this in November to help with my career progression. I completed the Care Certificate when I started in August 2017.
What do you love about working in care?
Appreciation for what we do; people are thankful and grateful. I really enjoy it and people like me, I do get good feedback and I appreciate that. It’s the satisfaction of doing something for a reason compared to my old job which was the same thing every single day.
What are the biggest challenges in your role?
You must have a level of common sense to know how to approach different people. You can carry out tasks the correct way from the training you have been given, but each client is different. Individuals with dementia are particularly hard as there are so many different types of dementia.
What would you say to someone interested in working in care?
I’ve realised that not everybody is right for this kind of job. Some people have the right approach to care and may have a better ability to different parts of the role. When I started I was really nervous about how I would handle personal care. I thought that it was going to be hard; one of my first clients was really difficult with personal care and was nervous about receiving it. I thought, ‘how would I like to be treated if I needed this type of care myself?’, and approached it in this way. That thought process means that I am able to treat my client with dignity and respect and make them feel comfortable.