Health & Social Care Jobs Live is looking to help ‘plug the gap’ and provide a solution to the care home staffing crisis by staging its first ever show dedicated to recruitment in the sector at Westfield Shopping Centre on 16-17 June. Here, they highlight some of the vacancies exhibitors will be looking to fill and what is involved in each role.
The Care Industry is on a significant recruitment drive for a wide range of different roles as vacancies grew following the pandemic, according to a study from the Care Quality Commission. As a result, care homes are focusing on broadening their talent base and attracting new people, by looking for the right behaviours and capability, rather than social care experience.
The industry is also building better career pathways, striving to make clear the development opportunities (as well as other allowances and benefits afforded by a career in care) and offering apprenticeship programmes for young people and school leavers, as a route into a care career.
Care Home Assistant
The role of the Care Home Assistant has kindness and compassion at its core. Treating everyone with dignity and respect, you will be supporting residents with their daily routines from personal care to sitting, chatting and sharing a cup of tea with someone who suffers from dementia. At the end of the day, you may help someone get into bed or finish a puzzle.
Often this type of role will pay for you to have a DBS check, provide you with a free uniform, free parking and sometimes even a free lunch. You can expect to receive regular training – including first aid and health and safety.
Activities Coordinator
This is a really rewarding role especially for those who love working with people and planning ahead. A typical week may involve deciding on an activity programme and visiting residents in their rooms to see how they are and ask them if they would like to join in with specific activities in small or larger groups.
Activities can be scheduled in the morning, afternoon or evening and include tea parties, knitting, singalongs, gardening and art classes as well as musical performances from local schools and visits to church, the local shops or the seaside.
On some days, friends and family can join in and many volunteer to help the staff. There is room to progress in this role to senior activities coordinator and your only limit is your creativity.
Housekeeper
A housekeeper loves making a care home feel like a family home. You will have a high standard for cleanliness and hygiene. You will take enormous pride in your job and being proactive. You will look after the care home as if it were your own home.
A typical day includes organising your products and moving from room to room, disinfesting, mopping, dusting and vacuuming. You may also change beds and wash linens, replenish toiletries and towels. Often you may stop for a chat as you get to know the residents and they get to know you. The social aspect is what many housekeepers enjoy the most.
Dementia Care Nurse
Becoming a specialist dementia nurse requires additional post-registration training in the condition. A nurse should also, ideally, have at least two years practice experience in dementia care. Usually, people working as a specialist dementia nurse will also hold a registered mental health nursing qualification.
This role will use your entire range of nursing skills. You will visit residents and talk about their health and their wellbeing. During your visits, you will listen and you will assess and see how the entire person and their living situation is around them. You will understand that there are different levels to dementia all the way up to forgetting how to brush your teeth. Removing all distractions and breaking down the components into very simple tasks is critical.
A dementia care nurse is also present and visible for their colleagues to pop in and ask questions. You may even teach and train the staff.
It will be challenging and emotionally demanding, but at the end of the day you will be making a difference to someone’s life.
Care Home Manager
In the role of care home manager, how you treat your people and residents is at the heart of everything you do. Your role is to connect the vision of the home and the resource that is your wonderful staff, with great leadership.
Administratively, a Care Home Manager has responsibility and accountability for the day-to-day running of the Home. They will oversee all activities and ensure the quality of the service and care provided meets quality standards and those of the external regulators such as the Care Quality Commission.
For any care home provider interested in exhibiting at Health & Social Care Jobs Live at Westfield Shopping Centre on June 16 and 17 please click here.
