Kelly’s mission to offer good care

Kelly joined Right at Home GF shortly after it started up three years ago and has seen the team grow from just four to over 40 CareGivers. She has wanted to work in care from a young age.

“My Dad died just four days before my 14^th birthday and the people who looked after him just didn’t seem very caring,” recalls Kelly. “I knew then that I wanted to work in care and give someone else the love and care that they deserved.” 

Kelly had a few years to wait – the minimum age required to care for someone one-to-one in their own home was (and still is) 18. She finished school, although the emotional

upset affected her exams, and took a job as a hairdresser in her home town of Aldershot. She also tried her hand at waitressing but the dream of being a carer didn’t go away and as soon as she turned 18 she applied for a role with a local homecare agency. It wasn’t what she expected. She didn’t enjoy all the rushing around, spending just 15 minutes at a time with clients. So she applied for a role with a large residential care home but that didn’t live up to her expectations either.

“There was very little one-to-one time with the residents and I wasn’t able to build a relationship and get to know any of them properly – it wasn’t what I wanted at all.”

Then in September 2012, she spotted an ad for a new home care company offering minimum one hour calls. She applied for the role and hasn’t looked back.

Kelly began as a Right at Home CareGiver and was soon promoted to be Right at Home’s first Senior CareGiver – she is now working full time as their Care Co-ordinator.

“I feel like I’ve grown with Right at Home,” explains Kelly. “I didn’t learn much working in the care home but since working for Right at Home I’ve done loads of training and I’m working towards Level 2 in Maths and English too – filling in the gaps!”

Alastair Shanks, MD of Right at Home GF, agrees: “Kelly’s confidence has grown enormously since she joined us and it’s been very rewarding seeing her progress from a trainee CareGiver to a key member of the office team in just a couple of years.”

Kelly is a very popular member of the team, always trying to help everyone, and is described as ‘down-to-earth’, ‘open’ and ‘friendly’. But the common theme running through everyone’s comments is Kelly’s laugh:

“She brightens the clients’ day with her upbeat personality and infectious laugh.”

“Her laugh has me in stitches.”

“Her laugh is contagious, making me smile even if I don’t feel like it.”

All in all, it’s clear that Kelly is a well-loved and valuable member of the Right at Home care team.