Meet Natasha, who left behind her life in retail and hospitality after feeling in need of a more fulfilling career.
Natasha left behind her life in retail and hospitality after starting a family and feeling a need for a more fulfilling career. After hearing good reviews about Home Instead, she decided to take the leap and applied to become a Care Professional. She has now been here for six months and is ‘loving it’.
At the beginning of the year, Natasha decided that she wanted a job that felt more rewarding. Working for a pizza chain at the time, she was looking for something more flexible that she could fit around family life and a job where she can feel like she has made a real difference at the end of each day.
Whilst job hunting, she spoke to her family about wanting a career change. Her family had heard good reviews about Home Instead and suggested it to Natasha as somewhere to apply to.
A bit apprehensive due to not having previous experience in care, Natasha applied for the role of Care Professional and got invited to an interview. She was reassured that Home Instead provide full, award-winning training and support for all staff, so no experience is necessary to become a Care Professional. Rather than looking at qualifications, Home Instead look for the qualities of a great Care Professional and then support their staff to build from there. They are looking for people who are caring, empathetic, reliable, friendly, respectful and trustworthy when hiring new Care Professionals.
Finding the change a bit overwhelming at first, Natasha soon settled into her new role and is now a much loved member of the Home Instead Exeter and East Devon team, dealing with a range of clients with different abilities and contradictions.
Natasha recently shared this lovely message with the whole Home Instead team:
‘I’d just like to say a massive thank you to absolutely everyone at the office and all of the care professionals for being so welcoming, and helpful with all the training/shadowing. Moving to home instead was a massive change for me, and it was overwhelming to start with, but you’ve all been so amazing!’
Natasha enjoys helping clients to combat loneliness, get out of bed in the morning and get out and about. Making a positive impact by supporting clients to regain their independence, providing comfort during difficult times or even just being a friendly face can bring a great sense of fulfilment.
‘It’s nice to make a difference’.
No two days are the same when you’re working in the world of care. Each day brings new opportunities and challenges, and the variety can be very appealing to those who thrive in a dynamic environment.
‘Sitting in an office all day just isn’t for me’.
The flexible working options and contracts allow staff to balance other commitments alongside their work life such as family or education. The demand for Care Professionals is consistently high with the ageing population which means strong job security and plenty of opportunities for advancement in the field.
Home Instead offer plenty of opportunities for professional development and training, including City & Guilds and RQF qualifications.
When starting with Home Instead, all Care Professionals take part in a three day, paid training program. During these training sessions they learn practical, hands-on skills as well as theoretical knowledge.
When beginning their journey as a Care Professional in the field, they are scheduled on a lot of visits to shadow more experienced Care Professionals. This allows them to learn on the job and put the training that they learnt in their course, into action. Care Professionals can take part in as many shadows as they would like, allowing them to feel the most confident in their roles.
Staff members also get award-winning dementia training, allowing them to better care for clients living with dementia. Home Instead have won the Queen’s Award from Buckingham Palace for their dementia training.
‘The 24/7 support is great from the office, knowing that they’re just a phone call away makes me feel at ease’.
If you are thinking about a career change and would like to learn more about working in home care, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or call 01395 200600. We have roles available all over Exeter and East Devon as well as Mid Devon and Lyme Regis.