The care industry is very rewarding says Devon provider

AN EXETER care provider says its industry is one of the most rewarding and it is very concerned a recent study found a third of workers leave the sector each year (2019).

Guardian Homecare says it encourages staff to stay in the profession by providing on-the-job support, helping them develop their skills through training, promoting career progression and offering benefit packages.

Manager for Guardian Homecare, Catherine Porter said: “I was disappointed to read the recent ‘Social Care Workforce Study’ which says one in three workers leave the sector every year. We can provide a job for life for someone with the right skills.

“We are looking for kind, honest, caring and reliable individuals who wish to have a stable and long-term career in care, and who would like to forge rewarding relationships with the service users they care for. No experience is necessary to become a carer as free, full training is provided.

“We offer new recruits a five-day training induction and a 12-week on-board programme working towards a care certificate. We also offer flexible working hours, both full and part-time, as well as competitive wages and generous holiday allocation.

“It is a great opportunity for people to achieve a recognised qualification and they’ll also be able to have access to exclusive discounts online and in-store from retailers including Tesco, Primark and Argos.”

Social Care Workforce Study also said the care sector needed to recruit 128,000 new members of staff every year to meet increasing demand.

Caregivers list job satisfaction, building friendships with colleagues and those they care for, and the chance to further their careers through qualifications as the main benefits of working in the profession.

“It’s up to care providers like us to ensure staff are well looked after and receive benefits and training in their position to help with job satisfaction and to reduce the number of leavers. This is something we’re passionate about doing as having long serving staff really benefits our service users as it means they see a regular friendly face.

“While this is a very daunting task, we need to approach it with positivity and to hear from those on the front line in order to attract new recruits.

“This is something we always aim to do with our recruitment as we believe that showing real people working in the industry and loving it can do wonders. We regularly ask our team to find out how they feel about the profession and their role, and the overwhelming response is one of great love for their job and the service users they care for. We believe if more people knew about the benefits, job satisfaction and potential to have a job for life, then they’d be inclined to sign up.”

The study revealed the care sector has the highest staff turnover rate of all sectors in the UK.

Catherine, who looks after teams that provide services to people living at home in the Exeter area, added: “Being a carer is a highly skilled, professional vocational occupation that is essential to the fabric of our society and the beauty of a job for life means people can start at the very bottom and work their way up with training and qualifications.

“In other industries, how often can you make someone’s day? How often can you put a smile on someone’s face and how often can you bring a real change to someone’s life and potentially even save their life? In care, making a difference like this can be a daily occurrence, bringing immense satisfaction and fulfilment.”

Guardian Homecare delivers personalised home care supporting people wishing to stay living safely and comfortably in their own homes in south Devon. 

Guardian Homecare employs nearly 200 domiciliary carers in south Devon to look after its service users in their own homes and it is currently searching for 100 new honest and kind-hearted individuals to help add to its teams.

Guardian Homecare offers training and the opportunity for internal advancement. Anyone who joins the team can create a career path using the different qualifications they achieve.

New recruits are given free uniforms, access to national staff discount scheme for many major brands, as well as 28 days paid holiday, paid travel between calls and paid mileage.

For further details, please call Guardian Homecare on 01803 853198. Alternatively, please visit www.guardianhomecare.org.uk.