A GROUP of long-serving members of the Church Farm Care team have been championing careers in the care sector as part of its latest recruitment drive. The group – which has more than 230 years' experience working for Church Farm Care between them – has been sharing its experiences of working in care with the hope of encouraging more young people to consider a career in the sector.
With the Covid -19 pandemic bringing the plight of care homes to the forefront of national attention, many younger people are considering pursuing a career in the care sector, with a recent report from The Work Foundation finding that one-in-four 16- to 25-year-olds are looking to pursue a career in care in the near future.
As part of the drive, the group is recruiting for a number of roles across two of its four homes, Rusticus and Field House, with roles in both the care and kitchen sides of the team available.
Janet Maiella, who has been a nurse at Church Farm Cotgrave since 1986, said: "In my 35 years with the team, there has never been a period as emotionally and physically challenging as the one we have navigated over the past 18 months. This career has always been incredibly rewarding, but when you see just how much of an impact it has had over that period, it makes you very proud.
"The team here at Cotgrave and across Church Farm Care's other three homes are always looking to grow so that we can provide our family members with the best possible environment. Our model of care is all about us making those who live with us feel like they're in their own home and that we are guests where they live, not staff. We want to bring in people that can help create that feel."
Working alongside Janet at Church Farm Cotgrave are several other team members with more than 20 years' experience, including Anne Benke (kitchen staff), Anne King (domestic) and Lynne Cohen (laundry). The group of long-serving staff also includes Debbie Croucher from their Field House home, who has worked there as a cook for 32 years.
Helen Walton, head of operations at Church Farm Care, said: "We are incredibly proud of all of our employees – they are absolutely crucial in making our family members feel at home. They are at the heart of providing a service that exceeds expectations, so the ability to empathise and relate to others is a fundamental part of our staff culture and, in turn, the recruitment process.
"With this in mind, we pride ourselves on providing a career option for people who don't necessarily have an outstanding academic profile. For us, what is important is who a person is, their understanding and the ability to step into the world of our family members and make them feel safe."