Personal care assistant - View of working for Passion for Support
We had one of our Personal Assistants working with us in the office and asked if she'd write a few words about her experience of working for Passion for Support.
I started working as a PA for Passion for Support about two years ago and have thoroughly enjoyed the work so far. I came into care work later in life as I have never really known what I wanted to do as a career and have tried lots of different types of work. When the pandemic hit and the world came to a stop, I felt quite useless.
I saw the impact it was having on the NHS, Care homes and the vulnerable in need of support, these people couldn’t stop, they were tired and overworked and still giving it their all. Although I was in work at the time, it prompted a career change. I wanted to be part of something worthwhile, I felt I wanted to join in and help people where I could. Before this, I had never really considered care work, my mum had been a PA for years and loved it and she suggested giving it a try.
Working for Passion for Support I have gained valuable experiences for working in care and transferable skills for life. I am part of a wonderful team of carers, who are a supportive network to each other, the customers we help and their families. By helping other people live their day to day lives and forming relationships with the customers has brought so much to my life. I feel valued by the customers and love making a positive difference to their lives.
Passion for Support have also been supportive in furthering my career in care, helping me gain qualifications and experiences needed to be successful in the care industry. Not only this, Passion for Support are flexible when it comes to your availability and will try to work around unforeseen circumstances that may arise like medical appointments, family issues, health issues etc. Making life a bit easier to juggle. For example, I start early in a morning and do a few morning calls comprising of personal care, breakfast, meds observation etc these can be anywhere from 1 to 2 hours each and I may have two or three to go to. I may then have a break for a couple of hours to refuel myself and walk my dog which is a nice way to break up the day. Then, I will go out on lunch calls, again ranging in duration where I make lunch, do any light household tasks, or maybe take the customer out for a bit or just keep them company as well as assisting with any personal care needs. Then, maybe another break to refuel or squeeze in the gym before heading out again to assist customers with their tea or bed calls where they may need help getting into nightwear, personal care and into bed etc.
Working for Passion for Support, no two days are the same it is so varied in terms of situations you may find yourself in, but it is so rewarding in a lot of different ways, and I will continue a career in Care thanks to Passion for Support and the staff giving me the time, support and skills to do so.