(PerCurra) Hi Carole, it’s lovely to find out more about you and what motivates you to be such an inspirational Social Care Professional. When did you join PerCurra Grantham & Newark?

(Carole) That was in February 2019, just before the Covid lock-downs. What a time to start!

Yes, not the easiest time. There were constant challenges for us in the care sector. What had you been doing before?

For the previous 14 years I had been working on quality control at a curtain and blind company. I was in my late 50’s and finding it physically demanding – lifting very heavy fabrics. I decided it was time for a change. My sister, who works in a care home in Canada suggested care work. She thought I would really enjoy it. I used to be a Registered Child Minder when my kids were younger and she knew how satisfying I had found that.

Did you have an experience of adult social care?

Not as a professional but I had looked after my father, along with my sister and outside carers. He had vascular dementia. He was in warden-controlled accommodation and the fact that carers came in three times a day gave us added peace of mind. I would leave behind my own family and go and stay with him at weekends. Caring for a family member and helping them with personal tasks is a hard thing to do but he was my father, I loved him and I wanted him to be well looked after. We lost dad, due to heart failure, in April 2018.

That must have been a very sad and difficult time for you family.

It was. Then, the week after my dad died, my mother-in-law fell in her garden. This led to a hip replacement, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and then she was taken to hospital following a heart attack. My father-in-law does everything in the home now but we help when we can.

So, how did you go about finding a job?

Well, I looked on some job sites, contacted a company and shadowed one of their carers for a day. To be honest it put me off. It was all quick 15 minute calls and you can’t do a job properly and ‘care’ in that time.

But you didn’t give up?

No. I kept looking and found PerCurra who promise ‘excellent care’. I spoke to the branch owner Andrew. We had a long chat and I felt reassured that his idea of care was the same as my own – that is, providing the highest quality of care that you would want for your own loved ones.

Did you find it easy, moving to a new job?

It was a big leap for me to go from a 32 hour a week steady job that I knew so well to a company that was still fairly new at that time and couldn’t offer me so many hours. Andrew was very persuasive though. I was also worried about certain aspects of carrying out personal care for clients rather than family and how I would feel about it. 

And did you find it difficult?

Actually no, I didn’t. It’s actually a bit easier. I did my induction and training and I felt I had great support from Andrew. He me at least once a week and I also regularly pop into the office for a coffee and chat.

Now, a few years on, how do you find the job?

I can’t imagine doing anything else! Typically I work between 25 to 30 hours a week. I do always treat my clients as I would want my parents or grandparents to be cared for. Everyone deserves the very best care, delivered with empathy and dignity. I love how this job gives me time to get to know clients and their family members.

What’s a usual working day like?

Each day is different, depending which clients I am visiting. With the ‘support and companionship’ calls varies, depending on the client’s needs. With a ‘breakfast call’ I help them get up and dressed, check their medication and ensure they are happily settled for the morning. They will get other visits at lunchtime and teatime where we have a chat as I prepare their food. In the evening I organise a snack and help them get ready for bed.

I see other clients where they see me as a companion/friend and I take them out and about – such as to a café. With one gentleman, he likes to cook so I batch-cook with him so he has meals for a few days and he likes going to garden centres to look at plants. 

Taking clients out is such a pleasure because you see how much joy they get from being out of the house. You can be sitting in a café window with them, people watching and enjoying a coffee and a tea cake or listening to them talking about their memories. If you were just sat in the house you are in a five minute world. Even if client forgets the trip because they have dementia, I don’t forget. Taking them to things that are memorable makes life better for them and for their families.

What qualities do you think are important in a professional carer?

If you are a nurturing and caring person this is such a rewarding job. It’s also important to have patience and empathy.

What about outside of work – what do you enjoy doing?

I love spending time with my family – I have three children and I also have grand children. I also enjoy reading, walking and love going to car shows and air shows.

Thank you Carole. It’s been wonderful to hear about your experiences and thoughts on working in social care. Any final words?

I like to make a difference to people - to them and their families. That’s why I do it.