Motivated to give back to others – Viv’s story

We would like to introduce you to Viv, care assistant for Radfield Home Care Shrewsbury and Oswestry.

Tell us about your previous care work/career background.

I have a background of nearly 18 years working in the care sector, namely within the NHS, in a variety of roles including administration. In my last role I was a receptionist and also chaperoned patients on occasion, something that I really enjoyed doing. I had lots of contact with patients and I loved having that level of personal engagement with them. If I was stuck in the office not being able to see anyone I know I would find that very boring, it’s all about the people for me! The part I enjoyed most was being able to greet patients, to get them drinks and really just to make them as comfortable as possible.

Due to a career move I left the NHS in 2018 but found myself furloughed at the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis. It allowed me the opportunity to consider where I wanted to go with my career. I decided that now was the time to pursue being a home care professional, something I’d been considering for a while. I’m really happy I made the move and that I got the role at Radfield.

What has inspired you to want to be involved in the adult social care sector?

I was inspired by my own personal experience of my Mother having lived with dementia and the vital care and support that she received from care workers. I knew that being a care professional was a really valued role to undertake and that they can be there to help when families live a distance away – which was the case for me too.

It’s so important for people to have the option to help keep their loved one in the family home that they know, and are familiar with, for as long as possible. High quality home care facilitates this for as long as it is safe and practical to do so.

For me, I was motivated to become a carer through a desire to give something back, to care for others in the same way my Mother had been cared for – this really spurred me on to make the move. My husband says that my new role as a caregiver has come really naturally to me, it was great to hear this and to know that it’s having such a positive impact.

Why Radfield Home Care agency?

For me it was the wording on the job advert and the Radfield website, it was both comforting and reassuring. It was immediately clear that they cared about their clients and also their carers too, this really came across.

My first contact was with Mandy Donnelly, Radfield Home Care Shrewsbury and Oswestry’ recruitment and new business coordinator, where I explained that I was new to being a carer. From just my initial phone call with her I was reassured that I would be given all the required training and assistance as a new carer and throughout my career. Any training or support I needed they would be there, and they have been.

The office staff are amazing, having come from the NHS it’s a real difference, they are so supportive and caring. For example, during the recent thunderstorms and flooding Sonya Cole, registered care manager of Radfield Home Care Shrewsbury and Oswestry, sent messages out to all carers to ensure that we’d all got home ok. It was really late in the evening and just knowing that she was there checking that we were safe was fantastic – you are never on your own.

How did you get to hear about the job opportunity?

I saw a job opportunity on Facebook and thought that it sounded really interesting so I sent a message and Mandy replied straight away. After a few messages I had an interview, my first ever interview via skype. Thankfully it went well and I was offered the position.

What are your career aspirations?

At the moment it’s all still relatively new to me and I am really enjoying doing what I’m doing as a Radfield home care professional. If there is anything I need I just phone the office or whoever is on call that day. Sonya regularly contacts us to let us know what training we need and arranges this all for us, either in the office or online.

What do you love most about your job and working for Radfield Home Care?

For me, it’s visiting and having that interaction with our fantastic clients. I also have the added benefit of travelling around parts of Shrewsbury and Shropshire that I’ve never been to before.

At Radfield, even though you might be physically visiting a client on your own, you’re never really on your own. I feel that I always have someone there at the end of the phone, whatever the time of day. You’ve always got that support and I’m part of a company that genuinely wants the best for their clients.