From Retail to Care
Posted: 13.4.21
Beloved Homecare, a local care provider in Trafford, have teamed up with Trafford Carers Centre to share a story about a Beloved employee called Karen who made the move into the care sector following a successful career in Retail.
Beloved Homecare, rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission, employ members of their local community in Altrincham, Urmston & Sale to help care and maintain their client’s independence. Beloved’s training equips members of the community with the skills they need to join the adult social care workforce without any prior experience.
We asked Karen a few questions about her transition from Retail to Social Care:
Any personal experience of care before applying to Beloved Homecare?
No, I had not had any caring experience before joining Beloved.
What was the motivation behind applying for the role?
I had been made redundant for the second time in eighteen months from my career in retail/hospitality and felt like this industry was not stable enough for me to re-enter due to the current climate. I wanted to find something different that I could be passionate about doing, something that was rewarding and meaningful. I spoke to friends and family about ideas, it was clear that because of my character and the fact that I’m a ‘people’ person, I still wanted to provide a service for people but perhaps on more of an emotional and caring level rather than transactional from being in retail.
I felt inspired by all the NHS workers, caring staff and unpaid carers because of the current Covid pandemic. I wanted to play some sort of part to help others.
What does an average day look like for you through the day in the community?
My average day consists of completing various tasks relating to the individual client’s needs. These tasks range from personal care of toileting, showering and dressing, to meal prepping, administering medication and social interaction. All this is done in a timely fashion and at clients houses in different locations. Each week I can have different shift patterns, Including days and evenings.
What does working in social care offer you that perhaps retail doesn’t?
I feel I have more ‘job satisfaction’ working in care work than retail, it’s definitely more rewarding for me. Although I have spent most of my career in retail and hospitality (and very happily so) over the years it has become harder than ever to provide decent customer service to people and complete tasks due to time constraints and short staffing. I have also developed a real understanding for the impact of caring for those who are supporting someone day in day out who couldn’t manage without them. Moving into social care is not only more rewarding for me emotionally but allows me to work closely with unpaid carers and ensure they are getting the support they so rightly deserve.
What would you say to someone who is thinking about joining the social care workforce?
Do it! I waited too long to do this job. With the right company, support and training in place, you can make a real difference to the care and treatment of not only your clients but the whole family too. It is an extremely rewarding job and although sometimes it can be emotional, there’s nothing like coming home after a shift knowing you’ve helped that individual person feel, safe, comfortable and happy.
Thankfully, if any silver lining should come out of this pandemic, it is an emerging recognition and appreciation of all these people within this care sector play a vital role in society, including unpaid carers. I am lucky to work for BH, that already seems to appreciate and validate teams and their hard work by making conscious decisions to recognise their employees by means of a little ‘thank you’ ‘great teamwork’ motivated talks to birthday gifts/treats ad competitive pay package… I hope other companies follow suit!
Karen is one of many who have decided to join to the social care workforce following a career in a different industry. Making a difference to someone’s day can be a truly rewarding career. There can be challenges at times, but the personal fulfilment is unrivalled. Beloved Homecare are incredibly pleased that Karen decided to join the team. Managing Director, Mark Collier said “Karen has taken to the job very well, we’re pleased that she decided to join the team. Client feedback on Karen’s performance is fantastic, she is a real asset to the team.”
Tagged with: