Agency encourage jobless to consider career in care

FORMER bouncers, police officers and servicemen and women are being encouraged to make the most of their skills by retraining as support workers.

Derby agency Trust Healthcare provides carers and support workers for residential homes, schools, the elderly and people with learning disabilities.

It is now encouraging people who are out of work and who might not usually have considered a career in the care industry to get in touch.

Managing director Paul Carr said: “There are people out there with really relevant skills and who desperately need a job who may never have thought about being a support worker.

“We’ve got some really demanding care packages with people who have quite challenging behaviour and anyone who is used to behaving in a professional manner, with discipline, in pressured situations would be perfect.
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“We think that, sometimes, people of this nature wouldn’t have even thought about being a support worker or know what it entails and, hence, don’t answer job adverts of that nature.”

Former construction worker Steven Glaister, of Glengarry Way, Sinfin, is an example of how skills from a traditionally masculine career can be transferred to the care industry.

After being made redundant just before Christmas 2008, the 51-year-old, whose wife and daughter work for Trust Healthcare, decided to join up.

He now works with a man with learning disabilities and would encourage other people in the same position to consider working in care.

He said: “It’s a brilliant job, I can’t fault it. I’d been in the same job for 34 years so was a bit nervous at first, but the work is very rewarding.

“I’ve got to know the man I work with well over the last 10 months and I’m making a difference to his life, which is really good.”

Trust Healthcare works closely with both Derby City and Derbyshire County councils, supplying staff to work with vulnerable people in the community.

A training programme, including NVQ qualifications in Health and Social Care, is offered to new recruits such as Mr Glaister, who may have come from a different employment background.

Mr Carr said: “Because of the type of support we provide, ex-service personnel and people from that type of background are perfect for the job.

“We provide all the training and legal checks which need to be done, which does mean we are limited to how many people we can take on at once.

“But we want to make people out there aware that these sort of opportunities exist and that caring can be a really rewarding job.”

For more information, call Trust Healthcare on Derby 200 300.