From retail to care - Vicky's story

 

Vicky, Care Co-ordinator for Bluebird Care Newcastle.

‘The experience I gained from working as a Manager in a retail store was invaluable and it helped me climb the ladder in the care industry’
Vicky, Bluebird Care Newcastle

 

Vicky started as a Care Assistant for Bluebird Care Newcastle in 2013 and she quickly moved into a Care Supervisors role about 6 months after starting. Her past experiences from working as a Manager in a retail store meant she already had the skill set required to fore fill and excel in the role. She worked as a Care Supervisor for around 18-24 months before transitioning into her current role as a Care Co-Ordinator.

Before working for Bluebird Care Vicky had no ‘paid’ care experience, she had not worked in the care industry before. However, outside of her working life she had always cared for her parents from a young age. This meant she already has the basic skill set and the capabilities needed for the role. Bluebird Care Newcastle provided Vicky with an environment she could thrive in. She was able to fine tune the abilities she already had to progress quickly in her new profession.

A lot of people think that in order to work as a Care Assistant you need masses of qualifications behind you and previous experience of working in the care industry. Vicky is a perfect example of how you are able to change career and from using her past experiences gained from work and her personal life she was able to progress and have an extremely successful care in the care industry.

In Vicky’s current role as a Care Co-Ordinator she is responsible for the co-ordination of all care packages and Care Assistants. She has built an extremely close relationship up with the Care Assistants in the field, speaking to them regularly and she has more of a holistic view of care packages. She sometimes delivers care for customers if there are any additional requirements needed or just to help out.

She describes the care delivery side of the job as:

 

 

‘This is something that never leaves you. If I’m being honest, my move into the Care Co-Ordinator role has made me miss the care delivery a lot. I loved the hands on care delivery side of my job and seeing our customers happy and comfortable in their home is just the best, that’s why I jump at the chance to get back out there when I can’
Vicky, Bluebird Care Newcastle

 

 

This highlights the impact delivering care has on people and how rewarding a career in care is.

The biggest contribution to Vicky’s successful career is the confidence in her own abilities. Making the jump from a Manager position in a complete different industry to a Care Assistant was a huge decision for her and was quite daunting, but it was her confidence in knowing she can do a good job which helped her along the way. This confidence came from her past experience for caring for her parents, her compassion, empathy and the ‘want’ to make a difference.  

 

 

‘The care experience I gained from my personal life, whilst caring for loved ones was instrumental in my shift into the Care industry and I would recommend anyone thinking of doing it to just go for it!

If being caring, loving and empathetic comes naturally to you, it goes a long way in this industry. You can get all the training needed when you’re here but if you aren’t loving, compassionate and empathetic it will be a lot harder to do a great job.’
Vicky, Bluebird Care Newcastle

 

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