Case study: Switching to a caring career
Carers come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Every member of our team has a story to tell about how they have come to pursue a career in caring. Although they are a very diverse range of people, they are united in their desire to provide the best possible service for every client.
One carer registered with Amore, Tracey Seddon, developed a career in caring later in life than some members of our team. Up until a few years ago she was an executive in her 40’s, working for a well-known media group. She decided to take a break from work in order to help look after her mother, who had been diagnosed with dementia. Her father was struggling to cope so Tracey decided to step in. It was the experience of looking after her mum and learning how to meet her complex needs that made Tracey realise that she had a real calling when it came to caring for people. We had a chat with her to find out more about her change in career direction.
When did you become a carer?
After looking after my mum I decided to become a full time carer and started working for Amore about six and a half years ago.
Going from an office job to a caring role must have been a big change. What was it about caring that you liked so much?
I get a huge amount of satisfaction from looking after people. You have to be looking all the time to see what they need and, very importantly, what they want too. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that you are really making a difference to someone’s life. I always say I’m lucky because I can genuinely say I absolutely love my job.
What sort of people do you find yourself looking after?
There’s a big variety. I have looked after a lot of young people with multiple health and social needs. Some have had really challenging behavioural issues too. Some experiences really stay with me. There are things like taking a young girl on the train to go shopping in Liverpool, which she hadn’t been able to do before and helping her choose something for herself. That might seem a small thing but for her it was a huge achievement. I remember very clearly another girl, who had a life limiting condition. She was likely to have to go into full time care when her mother had to go into hospital but myself and other members of the team worked together to enable her to stay at home, which was a much better solution for her and her mum too.
What advice would you offer to someone who was thinking of switching careers to caring?
I would say that having a genuinely caring nature is the single most important thing. You can learn all the practical skills you need to do the job. Amore is particularly good at providing funded training but you must have a real desire to care. Once you’re in a caring role it’s vital to really look at the person in front of you and think about how you can best meet their needs. I would also say that it’s important to maintain a very professional relationship but to make sure you are being really caring for that individual at the same time.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work?
I’m happy to say that I recently got engaged. I love spending time with my fiancé and we’re planning our wedding now so that’s keeping me busy!
If you are interested in a career in caring, please get in touch with Amore Group to find out how we can help.
