Care Practitioner highlights career progression and rewards of working with ‘second family’

A Care Practitioner who works at Encore Care Homes is highlighting the progression opportunities of a career in care and is encouraging people to join the team.

Tina Hughes, who has worked at Hamble Heights in Fareham for seven years, set her sights on progressing within the company and applied to become a permanent team member after working with Encore as an agency carer. Tina started work as a Healthcare Assistant (HCA) and after studying hard, she became a Senior Healthcare Assistant (HCA).

Encore funded Tina to attend college and gain extra qualifications, eventually supporting her to undertake a shadow shift every week at a local hospice to provide her with more training in end-of-life care.

Tina then went on to complete her BTEC Level 3 in Health and Social Care and now works as a Care Practioner which involves the administration of medication and dressings alongside a Registered Nurse, as well as mentoring the HCAs and Senior HCAs.

Speaking about her job, Tina said: “If somebody was considering a career in care, I’d say to go for it. It’s not about qualifications if you want to work in care; it’s about your personality and your caring nature. It’s not just a job as you have to care about the residents.

“They are my second family and my colleagues are my friends. I love every minute of my job and the senior team have been so supportive with the training that they have provided to me to help me to progress.”

Tina has worked in the care sector for 30 years, having started work as a children’s nanny to three children, before moving into adult social care.

Encore, which has four purpose-built care homes based across Dorset and Hampshire, is looking to recruit a number of permanent Healthcare Assistants to support the work of the team by providing practical, physical, social, and emotional wellbeing support to the residents in the care homes.

A minimum of six months of ‘caring’ experience is required to become a Healthcare Assistant. It could be from a caring role such as working in a school, childcare or simply caring for a relative. Alternatively, candidates could be in a people-focused role with a customer service background in retail or hospitality but they have a compassionate nature and transferable caring skills.

For more information and to apply for a Healthcare Assistant role at Encore, email: Encorecarehomes.co.uk/careers