Caring for Entry-Level Applicants

Right at Home: Caring for Entry-Level Applicants

Carer jobs are emerging as a quintessential role within society. There are currently seven-million carers in the UK, while three out of five people will be carers at some point in their lives.

With the average lifespan across the UK increasing, it’s been estimated that the number of required carer jobs will increase by 40% by 2037. This marks an increase of approximately 2.6million carers, taking the total within the care industry to 9 million.

Why Do People Choose to Pursue Carer Jobs?

Carer jobs provide people with the opportunity to pursue a highly rewarding career path, with many carers entering the profession at entry-level.

In providing care, members of the Right at Home team are afforded with the satisfaction of knowing that they have given support for someone who needs help, in turn, enhancing their quality of life. Also, carer jobs present avenues for personal growth and opportunities to learn new skills.

Do Carer Jobs Require Experience?

It’s a common assumption that carer jobs are reserved exclusively for candidates with qualifications and experience. However, this notion is false, as demonstrated by the philosophy promoted by Right at Home.

Donna Day, a member of the team at Right at Home Stockport and Didsbury, has been a carer for eighteen-months and began her career in the field with no prior experience, and without specialist academic training:

“I’d wanted to go into care for a long time, to be honest. However, I thought you had to go to college, and then onto university and get a degree. I had children, I had to work, and I simply didn’t have the time to study, so I put it off.

Unfortunately, a family member was poorly, and I had a conversation with their carer. They informed me that I didn’t need any experience at all, and I thought ‘Oh! I’ll look into that’. I applied for jobs with a few companies and got a call from Right at Home.”

Donna is not only an example of somebody who has successfully secured one of the carer jobs available without prior experience but also embodies the career development opportunities that can be fulfilled with Right at Home, irrespective of her entry-level status upon arriving eighteen-months ago:

“When I started working at Right at Home, I started as a carer with no experience at all. Within the short eighteen-months since I’ve started working here, I’ve progressed to a compliance support worker, and I’m also working towards becoming a training coordinator; I also do the moving and handling training.”

Since beginning her Right at Home journey at entry-level, Donna has reaped the rewards of being provided with in-depth training; she has embraced a range of professional development opportunities and has developed various areas of her practice:

“Right at Home have recognised that I’m new to care and have continually provided me with courses to complete to help me improve. I still feel I have a lot to learn, but whenever I’ve asked for help and support, they’ve done all they can do to find a way of helping me progress further; I’ve completed my care plan training, moving and handling, alcohol awareness courses, dementia courses, first aid, catheter training, and we’re offered additional training that’s relevant to a particular client.”

Career Progression in the Care Industry

Right at Home have equipped Donna with a host of skills to progress since she joined the team. During her career thus far, Donna has recognised her ambition of working in the industry and continues to flourish under the guidance of the Right at Home team.

Carer jobs offer widespread potential for progression, as per individual preference. For instance, Donna has expressed an interest in pursuing the training route associated with care, with high, yet attainable, long-term ambitions fixed firmly in her sights:

“Currently, I’m going down the training route, with the inductions and so forth. Because I didn’t come from a care background, I wasn’t aware that so many different routes were available to arrive at one place. I’ve since expressed an interest in pursuing the training element of care, and I’ve been provided with everything to be successful in this area.

When I’ve completed the training side of care, I’d like to potentially look at care planning. Again, I’ll be provided with the relevant guidance to do so. My main goal is to be a Care Manager and I’m desperate to learn as much as I can.”

Why Did Donna Choose Right at Home?

Upon establishing that no experience was necessary, Donna applied for carer jobs and was a fan of Right at Home’s hospitable approach and friendly demeanour:

“I had no clue about care at all and applied for a lot of local care companies. To be honest, I was amazed that the hiring managers didn’t ask me what my experiences were, whether I had a care background, which hours I’d be available – I was asked nothing at all, other than, ‘We need to get you in for an interview ASAP.’ They just seemed desperate for staff and it put me off a bit.

However, I received a call from David at Right at Home, and the conversation lasted about an hour. He asked me everything, told me everything, and we talked about the business itself. He was very particular and wanted more information about me. I could see he was very careful about who he employed, and that he wanted to make sure that the match was right, for the company and the clients.”

Why Should an Entry-Level Carer Choose Right at Home?

During her search for carer jobs, Donna Day was attracted to the dynamic of Right at Home and the company’s in-depth approach. Since joining the company, Donna has since flourished in her role, and provided a stellar appraisal of the company who gave her an initial insight into the benefits of working as a carer:

“Working at Right at Home has been incredibly rewarding, and it’s like working for a family. This is the first job I’ve had whereby I’ve felt like I’m at home and where I feel as though I fit in. Everybody is so nice, we all get along, and I can honestly say I don’t think I would’ve got this far if I’d worked for one of the other companies who I’d called.

David, Managing Director, is so passionate about the staff, carers, and making sure that people are contributing in the way that they want to contribute – it’s a great company to work for. There’s a lot of room for development, and they’ll do everything they can to help you and steer you in the right direction. I love what I do.”

If you harbour dreams of becoming a carer but have been deterred from applying due to a perceived lack of experience, call 0161 791 0934 for more information on how to take your first steps with Right at Home – we’d be delighted to speak with you.