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Carers provide a lifeline to elderly & vulnerable in Wales
| Published: 12th August 2020 14:58 |
A WELSH care provider says its carers offer a vital lifeline to those who can’t get out as much as normal due to on-going worries about the COVID-19 aftermath (August 2020).
ISS Healthcare says despite loosening lockdown restrictions many of the county’s elderly and vulnerable are more likely to stay inside, and carers are sometimes their only source of social interaction.
Caroline Jones, Regional Manager at ISS Healthcare, which provides care to people in their own homes in Torfaen and the surrounding areas and has offices at Torfaen Business Centre, said: “Genuine health concerns and worries associated with the pandemic have led to limits on the amount of time our service users wish to be out and about, if they can get out at all. They often don’t want to or can’t venture out due to risks associated with ill-health, so our carers provide a vital lifeline for them to the outside world.
“Either needing to stay at home medically, or because they feel safer staying away from people, means they don’t socialise with friends or neighbours as much as they would like, and they can’t carry out any errands that they may normally do. Regularly organised clubs or social events have still to resume and some of those we look after should still remain at home for health reasons anyway, so many are feeling very lonely.
“As well as providing support, our carers are often the only friendly face our service users will see each day.”
As part of its aim to combat social isolation, ISS Healthcare matches personalities when pairing up its carers with service users.
If both parties have similar interests they will be paired up, giving an elderly person the chance to see someone they can trust and get along with every day.
Caroline added: “We are continuously battling against social isolation and COVID-19 has seriously impacted on the lives of so many who are now understandably worried about being with other people. We believe providing emotional support is just as important as physical care and we are doing our upmost to make sure our service users don’t feel lonely or isolated, especially when they are still very concerned about the pandemic too.
“We provide an invaluable service to the people of Wales and new staff are needed on a daily basis to help us continue with our work. We offer free, full training and the opportunity for career advancement. We’re also very flexible with working hours, so if anyone is interested in joining our team, they should get in touch for more information.”
ISS Healthcare provides care support to thousands of people, with services commissioned through authorities in the area or purchased privately by individual service users or their families.
Its aim is to deliver care, which improves the lives of its service users and that treats them, and their families, with respect, dignity and compassion.
ISS Healthcare believes its services should not only comply with regulatory standards, but that it also delivers excellence and promote overall wellbeing.
It offers flexible and supported work for kind, committed and reliable people, who have excellent communication skills and a genuine care for others.
Caroline continued: “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’re looking for kind and caring individuals to join our team. We can offer people who work in rural areas the opportunity to become a carer in their community. We have found that there are often people living in the same small community as someone who needs care and support and who would be pleased to work for us, if only with one or two people.
“Anyone looking for work can register with us and we can let them know when work becomes available in their area. Working in a close-knit community enables a richer relationship between the carer and the person supported, as they can have more in common and can also pop in more easily.
“Where this kind of match between the person needing support and the carer can be made it also helps enormously with safety during the winter months, as locally based carers can almost always reach someone even in heavy rain or snow.”
To enquire about a position, people can call ISS Healthcare on 01495 759977 or leave a message on its Facebook page at https://bit.ly/345tgvU. Alternatively, people can apply for positions via Indeed at https://indeedhi.re/2JBKAiU.
New recruits are given free uniforms, access to national staff discount scheme for many major brands, as well as 28 days paid holiday, paid travel between calls and paid mileage.
“We offer competitive wages, generous holiday allocation and a refer a friend bonus scheme. It is a great opportunity for people to achieve recognised qualifications and they’ll also have access to exclusive discounts online and in-store from retailers including Tesco, Primark and Argos, as well as discounts covering holidays and electrical goods.
“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 by training with us and work their way up the career ladder gaining further training and qualifications. In today’s changing world of employment, we pride ourselves on being able to offer long-term job security and career prospects.
“Thanks to modern technology we are able to conduct interviews via FaceTime and Skype for speed and to ensure people don’t leave their homes unnecessarily. We could receive a person’s application and have them on a FaceTime call the same day. The Government has also taken steps to ensure a quicker turnaround on DBS checks, so we can get people into work even quicker.”
For more information about ISS Healthcare, please call 01495 759977 or visit www.isshealthcare.co.uk.
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