Our Mid Devon Care Professional who says she's found the right role, and Company
They offer a chance to focus on the talents of our colleagues, and to showcase the diversity of our team.
On this occasion, we are delighted to introduce Keeley, our Care Professional who’s sincerely found the right role, and Company, and happens to be our Mid Devon Care Professional of the Year too!
After an early introduction to the care sector soon after leaving college, Keeley was left feeling a little dismayed, saying:
“I really enjoyed the actual role, caring for people, but the visits were only 30 minutes long and there often wasn’t enough time to get from A to B – plus, we weren’t paid for that time and travel either, so it wasn’t the best experience. When my partner and I decided to start a family, the role really wasn’t something that I could fit around life, or that made sense financially.”
Keeley did return to the working world after having her two children, but this time went into hospitality, as it offered her what she felt like was an adaptable role without great responsibility. However, she now acknowledges that it didn’t offer her the sense of satisfaction that she felt when ‘caring’.
It was in October of 2022 that Keeley finally acted on the advice of her close friend (and Home Instead Care Professional), Lauren, and applied for a role with the Company. Keeley hasn’t looked back!
“I was really nervous when I started my training, but Rachael (Training & Support Team Manager) was so helpful. I realised that I’d lost my confidence and the thought of being responsible for someone else made me so nervous. Rachael talked me through it all – she said that the office team would always be there to support, and they are.
Keeley now works her role around family life successfully, by offering availability on three days each week, around school timings, and then a few hours every other weekend. Keeley is a great ambassador too and has diversified to support the Marketing Team at events such as our Ageing-Well Information Day.
When asked about the topic of personal care (which applicants are often hesitant about) Keeley says that she doesn’t give it a thought, saying:
“All of my visits are based around companionship, so I work hard to build positive relationships with my clients. It’s rare that I would need to support someone with personal care completely, as our visits allow time for us to do tasks with a person, rather than for them – that way they keep those skills active and can feel independent.”
“The fact that I am trained to care for someone as their needs change, means that I can keep building relationships and providing continuity of care. I would be so sad to stop caring for a client because their needs were increasing and I wasn’t able or willing to support them, and that would be awful for them too. We build real trust and that would break it.”
In the future, Keeley is looking forward to developing specialist skills, having recently completed her City & Guilds Dementia training with Home Instead. Her next goal is to explore the area of End-of-Life care – a real privilege.
Summing up her feelings about her role, Keeley says,
Keeley, we will watch your journey with Home Instead with interest…
If you would like to find out more about a rewarding role with our team, contact us on 01395 200600, email [email protected] or follow us on Facebook HERE to discover why we are different.
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