Care Home Open Week 2022: Join our team!

28th June 2022

This week we’re celebrating Care Home Open Week 2022. This national event aims to connect care homes with their communities and help people find out more about the services they offer and some of the amazing people who live and work there. Today we’re sharing Caroline’s story, who after working as a dry cleaner for over 40 years, decided to join our charity’s care team – and now wishes she’d made the move years ago!     

Caroline was a dry cleaner for an incredible 43 years before starting a new career in social care with our charity at Whiteley Village. At first it felt like a big change of direction but later she realised she already had many of the skills required.

“I started at my local dry cleaners aged 15 and really enjoyed it, so I stayed! There was lots of variety but what I really liked was the people – working as a team and serving the public, making sure customers had a good experience. Some people can be difficult, but you always show them respect and empathy, so the people skills I needed for caring were not very different,” she said.

“The staff really helped transform [mum’s] quality of life…it was so inspiring and I thought, I want to do that!”

Caroline’s mum had a stroke in 2008 which left her severely disabled and she had to go into care. A few years later, following the death of her dad, Caroline moved her mum to a care home closer where she lived in Weybridge. It was a difficult time for all the family, but the kindness and dedication of the staff in her new home made all the difference.

“The care and support mum got was absolutely fantastic,” said Caroline. “The staff really helped to transform her quality of life – it was so inspiring, and I thought, I want to do that!”

“I absolutely love my job…I wish I’d made the change years ago!” 

She went on to successfully apply as a Care Assistant for our charity and hasn’t looked back. “The training here is excellent and there is always someone to ask for advice if I am not sure about anything. It’s a brilliant team and the managers are very supportive. It can be a tough job of course, but we all look out for each other. I absolutely love my job and now wish I’d made the change years ago!”

“Whiteley Village is such a beautiful place to work and it’s friendly.”

“I especially enjoy getting to know the residents and building relationships with them. It is very rewarding as I know I’m doing something that makes a difference to someone’s life – in the way the staff in my mum’s care home did for her.

“When I got this job I couldn’t believe my luck! Whiteley Village is such a beautiful place to work and it’s friendly. When you’re out and about people always say hello, so it’s wonderful to be a part of it all.”

Caroline’s manager, Karen said: “When I recruit to the team the main skill I look for is someone who genuinely cares and has empathy for older people, as these are skills you cannot teach. When I interviewed Caroline she impressed me because she has a passion for supporting older people. She puts these skills into practice everyday in her role as a Care Assistant, so I’m proud to have her as part of my team.”

If you would like to find out more about working in social care for our charity at Whiteley Village we’d love to hear from you. Visit our Jobs page here, or contact our freindly team by calling Sanni on 01932 550745, or Sue on 825804.

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