Jenny has been in the care industry for 20 years and had been on the point of leaving the industry, when she came across an advert for All About Home Care. From the interview, she knew we were different.
"I worked for one domiciliary care company for 15 years. It continually changed hands and I felt the clients weren't getting the things they needed; we didn't have enough time with them, we didn't have proper travelling time allocated and it was simply chaotic and very stressful. I got a job in a care home, but I didn't like it; I love being out and about and driving from one person to another. I thought very hard about what I was going to do and was wondered whether it was time to move out of care altogether, when the advert for All About Home Care came up.
Straight away at the interview I knew they were different. They treated me with respect and they obviously had a passion for what they do and for looking after their clients. I listened to how they talked about their clients and I liked that their philosophy is to look after all their clients as though they were their own mum or dad, because that's always been my approach.
The big difference between All About Home Care and other care companies that I have worked for is that the clients always come first. If they need anything changed or anything else doing for them, we are always on the ball; anything we feel needs to be put in place, we go out of our way to do it. We have the right amount of time with the clients and proper travelling time allowed to make sure the clients have the best care possible. We try as far as possible to match the carers to the needs and personalities of the clients, and to provide continuity of care within a team, which the clients and the carers like as they really get to know one another, and the clients really like seeing familiar faces. The way we talk to the clients is always on the level with them.
The way the company is run is very professional. They choose staff who are very professional and very well trained, or provide the training so they can give the right care. I have got a lot more knowledge since joining All About Home Care through the training that's provided. We have all the statutory training that we need to have every year, but our manager also looks out for any other courses that she thinks will help us in our jobs and puts us on them if we want to do them. We also work closely with Hospice in the Weald and have lots of end-of-life training from them. I am a pretty confident person and have always known when to ask questions if I'm not sure of something, but the extra training that All About Home Care provide has given me even more confidence, especially to help others who are less sure, which I do more of since being promoted to senior carer last year. As the care supervisor I now have to go out and do spot checks to make sure that the carers are up to date with everything, and most of the time they are, which is down to the training.
It's a very supportive company.
There are enough staff to have everything covered, so if someone needs to change their shifts or leave early, the manager can nearly always make it work for them. There's also a really strong team feeling, even though the carers are out on their own; if any one has a question about a client, they call someone else in the team to discuss it.
I had been on the point of leaving the industry as I hated going to work, but now I simply love my job. I am no longer frustrated and stressed but am happy in myself and relaxed. Before, I didn't want to get out of bed in the morning to go to work; now I love my work. If every there is a problem and my manager calls, I will always do that bit extra to help, whereas before I only wanted to do the basics. It's a two-way relationship; I get so much support from the management team that I will go out of my way to help them. I had a very tough time last year and they were so lovely, sending me flowers and phoning to check how I was. The management are a really good team who work so well together – they always go above and beyond."
