Compassionate people urged to join Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership’s Care at Home service

Compassionate and enthusiastic people could make a difference to the lives of others by joining Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership’s Care at Home team.

Reablement team leader Isabel McCluskey

That’s the view of care worker Isabel McCluskey, from Renfrew, who has worked for the service for 24 years.

Isabel, 59, is a team leader for Reablement, which is a Care at Home service that helps members of the Renfrewshire community regain independence following a stay in hospital or following an illness.

And she believes the work of the service is crucial to supporting the needs of vulnerable people by helping them to live safely in their homes for as long as they can.

Isabel said: “It’s a really good service to work for. There are a lot of great benefits and the fact that we help people makes a big difference to my life, as well as theirs.

“We’re working with people who are quite ill at the beginning and we can get them back to being independent again, which makes a huge difference in their lives.”

Isabel began working for the service as she wanted to find a job which would fit around the needs of her young family.

But after going on to work for the Care at Home service for over 24 years, Isabel says the rewarding nature of the job has helped shape her as a person.

She said: “I started working for the team in 1992 and have been doing this job for 24 years – caring mostly for older people over 65.

“Working for the service has helped me progress in my career. It’s given me more confidence and I’m not shy anymore.

“The job has changed a lot since I joined the service. We do more personal care now and you get to know people a lot because you are closer to them.

“Working in Reablement, you see someone come out of hospital and they’re quite frail, but when you’re leaving after your visit they are thanking you for everything you’ve done for them. It’s really rewarding.

The Reablement team is just one branch of Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership’s Care at Home service.

The Care at Home team supports the needs of Renfrewshire citizens by helping to provide personal, social and emotional support to service users and their families.

This includes helping with all aspects of personal care, such as washing, dressing and support with medication.

And now Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership are looking to recruit 50 new carers as part of their commitment to helping vulnerable people.

Isabel says the most gratifying aspect of her job is the variety of people you meet and the enlightening stories they tell.

She said: “The best part of my job is meeting different people, from different walks of life and hearing the stories they tell you. It’s amazing the lives they’ve led.

“I wouldn’t be here 24 years later if I didn’t believe it was a good service.”

In return for making a difference to the lives of others, Care at Home workers will receive a starting salary of £8.33 an hour, guaranteed working hours, pension and access to comprehensive training.

Successful applicants will be trained to SVQ2 Level standard in Health and Social Care, with permanent and temporary posts available.

You can apply to join Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership’s Care at Home team by visiting www.myjobscotland.gov.uk/councils/renfrewshire-council or by calling 0300 300 0330 for an application pack.