What to expect as a new Carer
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- What to expect as a new Carer
If you’re considering becoming a carer, we think that’s a great idea! Becoming an in-home carer is a rewarding career, one in which you can make a real difference to the lives of the people who you care for. Here at Right at Home, we offer at-home care for our Clients and support for their loved ones.
You may be wondering what to expect day-to-day in your care role. We’ve laid out our experiences, so you can discover what to expect in your new role as a care worker.
What is expected from a care worker?
To become a Care Assistant, there are a few things that we expect from you in order to succeed in your role with us.
Flexibility
As a carer, there may be times that you need to tend to your Client at a moment’s notice. Daily tasks are often unpredictable and you must be prepared to be flexible. Yet, with this flexibility comes freedom and autonomy in your work. The flexible schedule of a care role may end up giving you more free time than a regular 9-5 job would!
A good listener
One of the most important things to us at Right at Home is to ensure that our Clients always feel respected and listened to, and are treated with dignity and respect. You’ll need to listen to the Client’s needs and work hard to meet those needs. This level of communication and attentiveness is especially important when it comes to medication schedules!
Hygienic
You must make sure to maintain a clean and safe environment, especially as some of our Clients may be immunocompromised. High-quality hygiene measures include constantly washing your hands, keeping bathroom and kitchen areas clean, and keeping your eye out for any health hazards.
Hands-on
You must be willing to throw yourself at any task that presents itself to you. Whether that means cleaning up any accidents, helping Clients to move around, or doing housework for the person you care for.
Respectful
It’s vitally important that you are respectful when working as a care and support worker. Working with elderly and disabled people means that you may have to help with personal care and toilet duties. These can be very sensitive tasks, so a CareGiver must be able to deal with the situation in a way that is calm, respectful and professional.
Learn more about the qualities that make a great Carer.
What does a care worker do daily at Right at Home?
Your day-to-day responsibilities will depend on the Client you’re caring for and their specific or immediate needs. For each Client, you’ll need to consult their detailed care plan, to ensure that the work you do helps them to achieve their goals. At Right at Home, we offer many specialised services, all of which have our Clients’ needs in mind.
Our care and support is all about maintaining an individual’s independence for as long as possible. We encourage our clients to do as much as they can for themselves and we only support them when they need and want us to.
We aim to support our Clients to achieve their daily goals. For some, that might be to feed the birds in their garden. Whereas others might need help getting up and ready in the morning so they can enjoy their day.
Most importantly, our CareGivers are tasked with becoming a friend and providing companionship and support.
What to wear for care assistant training
At Right at Home we offer a discreet service, whereby our care workers do not wear a specific uniform when conducting live-in care tasks or regular visits. For training sessions, we recommend wearing something comfortable, any outfit that might be considered smart-casual. Our induction training involves practical exercises, such as learning the correct procedures for moving and assisting Clients, so it’s useful to be able to move around in your clothing.
Building trust with Clients
Our smart-casual dress code builds trust with Clients and their loved ones. We aim to look like a friend of the family coming for a visit, rather than a professional care service. Some of our network do wear uniforms, as they’re proud to represent the quality care that Right at Home are synonymous with. But, on the whole, our Clients appreciate a discreet service that helps to protect vulnerable people and their homes.
Infection control clothing
As care workers, we must take responsibility for infection control and minimise risk for our Clients. We recommend that our Carers wear clothing that can be washed at high temperatures to remove any germs or harmful bacteria that may be present.
We also provide all of our Carers with full personal protective equipment (PPE) and training on how to use it. Our priority is to keep our team and our Clients safe.
Comfortable footwear
It’s always a good idea to wear comfortable footwear, as you’ll often be on your feet for many hours of the day. Shoes should also be sturdy and closed-toe, to avoid any trip hazards or injuries, particularly when working with Clients who use wheelchairs or mobility devices.
Avoid jewellery
CareGivers working with those with dementia or learning difficulties should avoid long, dangly jewellery that could cause injury to yourself or the Client if pulled or caught. For the same reason, long hair should be tied back away from the face.
Do I need any qualifications or care certificates?
In order to become a CareGiver with Right at Home, there is no specific experience requirement. We offer a full induction and ongoing training for the role in-house. Rather than specific qualifications, the main thing we ask of you is that you have the desire to make a genuine difference to the lives of others.
Given the nature of the job, you must have a full driving licence and access to your own vehicle unless you are in London or some wider areas of London.
The central team at Right at Home will support you to complete the Care Certificate, which teaches you everything you need to become a competent care worker. From there, you can progress to L2, 3 and 5 of the Regulated Qualification Framework (RQF) in homecare.
At Right at Home, we offer plenty of internal training opportunities to support you in unlocking your true potential. This includes access to over 120 e-learning courses that you can complete on the go!
We’re always on the lookout for new team members with a positive attitude and the ability to forge meaningful relationships with others.
Find out our tips for becoming a care professional without previous experience.
