People being made redundant from the High Street should bring skills to care

A CARE company in south Devon is urging anyone being made redundant from a customer-facing role in the county to get in touch as their skills are needed in the sector (October 2020).

Guardian Homecare, which cares for people in the Exeter and surrounding areas, wants to reassure job seekers thinking of a care role that the skills they already have are transferable.

Manager for the care provider, Catherine Porter says: “At the moment there are many companies in the retail and other customer-facing sectors such as Marks & Spencer, John Lewis, Boots, Topshop and the Co-op Bank, which are restructuring and, with some, there may even be store closures.

“Retail sales fell by 6% in the year to August, according to the CBI and it believes sales will drop by 17% this month, so more jobs losses may be likely this autumn on the High Street, especially as the furlough scheme comes to an end.

“Retail is an uncertain sector to be in right now, but care can be a job for life for the right candidate. Many people believe that the skills they’ve learnt in a certain industry means they’re restricted when it comes to seeking new employment, but we want to let them know that this simply isn’t true. Many of the skills they already have can be adapted for a new sector, such as care.

“People who work in retail, for example, have excellent customer service skills and know how to treat customers with respect. They are super helpful and friendly and these are just some of the skills that our carers need when visiting our service users’ homes. Being trustworthy, organised, punctual, reliable and being able to undertake admin tasks are also some great skills that are transferrable between industries.

“We are offering people secure employment in the care industry that can often mean a job for life. They’ll be able to bring all the experience they’ve acquired into the industry as well as gain much more through training.”

Guardian Homecare’s team of trained, specialist, care workers provide positive-based outcomes and person-centred care to people throughout south Devon. 

It provides support to individuals wishing to remain in their own homes and cared for in a way that meets their health needs and offers a range of home care options.

It is currently looking for 100 new honest and kind-hearted individuals to help add to its teams in Exeter.

 Catherine adds: “Our support is not solely elderly care, we offer home care for adults of various abilities and our team puts people first by helping individuals live independently and providing peace of mind for families. Our service is also completely personalised and ranges from daily visits to respite and overnight care.

 “Being a carer is a highly skilled, professional vocational occupation that is essential to the fabric of our society and, the beauty of a job for life, means people can start at the very bottom and work their way up with training and qualifications.

 “We are looking for kind, honest, caring and reliable individuals who wish to have a stable and long-term career in care, and who would like to forge rewarding relationships with the service users they care for. No experience is necessary to become a carer, as free, full training is given

“We offer new recruits a five-day training induction and a 12-week on-boarding programme working towards a care certificate. We also offer flexible working hours, both full and part-time, as well as competitive wages and generous holiday allocation.

“It is a great opportunity for people to achieve a recognised qualification and they’ll also be able to have access to a national staff discount scheme with exclusive discounts online and in-store from many major brands and retailers including Tesco, Primark and Argos, and it also covers holidays and electrical goods.”

New recruits are given free uniforms, as well as 28 days paid holiday, paid travel between calls and paid mileage.

For further details, please call Guardian Homecare visit www.guardianhomecare.co.uk or https://www.facebook.com/GuardianHomecareUK/jobs/.