Care Professional Nikki Celebrates 15 Years of Caring at Home Instead Norwich
This week we celebrate Nikki’s 15 years as a Care Professional with Home Instead Norwich!
Nikki shared with us why she loves being a home care professional, some of the moments that have stayed with her, and her advice for anyone starting out.
Why Home Care as a career?
What keeps someone in care for more than two decades?
For Nikki, the answer is simple: the people.
Nikki has been part of Home Instead Norwich for 15 years, and before that she spent eight years working in a residential care home.
Across the team, she is known for her warmth, reliability and an essential sense of humour.
Her story shows families what consistent, long-term care can look like and shows anyone thinking about a career in care just how rewarding it can be.
Moving from “residential care” to “care at home”
Moving into home care changed the way Nikki works.
In a care home, the day is often shaped by routines – at home, it is shaped by the person you’re caring for.
Clients are in their own surroundings, quite often in homes they have lived in for decades, so rich in memories.
That gives Nikki the chance to offer support that is genuinely personal and built around each client, rather than around a timetable.
“Home Instead offers the ability to care for my own clients with whom I can build a relationship that develops over time, which makes the care as fulfilling for me as it does for them,” she says.
Like many Care Professionals, Nikki still remembers her very first Home Instead client fondly, as going into somebody’s home is a privilege that Home Instead Care Professionals do not take lightly.
That first relationship made a big impression, and it has stayed with her ever since.
Home Instead is more than care – it’s company and wellbeing
Over the years, Nikki has found that what many clients value most is company.
A visit is often an important social connection in someone’s week, and sometimes they simply want to chat.
Part of the skill is reading the room.
“You read the situation,” Nikki explains.
“Some days that means a bit of banter; other days it means quiet reassurance.”
The conversations can be surprising too, and the funniest moments often pop up in the middle of everyday tasks, over a chat about something else entirely.
One of her clients has a habit of singing well-known songs with their own twist on the words, which never fails to make Nikki smile.
Patience that pays off
Not every relationship starts easily. Nikki remembers one gentleman who did not want any care at all.
His daughter had arranged support, but for the first month, he did not want to engage at all; Nikki persisted.
Then, after that first month, there was a breakthrough.
The client began to open up, and the two eventually built a strong bond.
This is a fantastic example of why continuity matters, meaning when clients see the same familiar face, that trust has a natural period of time to grow.
Life outside work
Away from her clients, Nikki is a devoted animal lover.
She shares her home with three Shih Tzus and has previously kept horses and, more unusually, sea horses!
Advice for new Care Professionals
Just this week, Nikki met a new cohort of Care Professionals on their first day of training at Home Instead Norwich, and her advice to them was typical of her approach to care:
“Enjoy yourselves. Your first visits are always going to be a bit daunting, but make the most of the excellent training and enjoy spending time with your clients and getting to know them.”
Chris Carter, Founder at Home Instead Norwich, adds:
“Nikki has been with us for 15 years, and in that time she has made a real difference to so many clients and families across Norwich. Her warmth, humour and reliability support our clients genuine wellbeing and she is a wonderful example to our newer Care Professionals. Thank you, Nikki, for everything you do.”
Looking for care or a career in care in Norwich?
If you are considering care for a loved one, our Care Professionals take the time to get to know each client and build relationships that last. Contact Home Instead Norwich to discuss your unique situation and how we can help.
If Nikki’s story has inspired you, we are recruiting Care Professionals across Norwich and surrounding communities with full training and support provided. Explore current opportunities and find out whether a career in care could be right for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my loved one see the same Care Professional?
We match each client with a small, consistent team so that relationships and trust can develop over time.
Do I need experience to become a Care Professional?
No. We welcome people who are new to care as well as experienced applicants and provide award winning training and ongoing support.