Case Study: Jess's Story

When I get up in the morning I’m happy to go to work. That’s what I always wanted in a job and it’s what I have now. 

I became a care assistant when I was 18, just after leaving school with three A levels. I knew I wanted a job that made a difference, and I’ve always liked helping people. 

Now, just over three years later, I’m a senior care assistant, supervising a team of care assistants, and I’m really proud of what I do. 

I was shy when I started working for Bluebird Care but I received training and I felt comfortable in the role, and my confidence grew.  

The people I cared for became friends. George is in bed and can’t walk, but he loves singing. He’d sing all these old songs and was so happy when he saw me doing a little dance and a twirl, it would put the biggest smile on his face. It didn’t matter that I didn’t know the words, I’d sing along anyway, and his wife was happy because he was happy. It was nice to see them both enjoying themselves. 

I took Jean to the market and the supermarket when she was in her eighties and had to run behind her mobility scooter to keep up. I think she liked the companionship, sometimes we were the only people she saw in that week, and she enjoyed the independence of still doing her own shopping. She knew she could still go out as long as she had us there to make sure she was ok.  

I took Mavis to the market too, and we’d sit and have a cup of tea in the café, it was just nice, it didn’t feel like work. Mavis lived alone, in the same house that she grew up in, she never married or had children. The house had so many memories for her. She told me about the parties in the garden and showed me pictures of when she was a teenager, wearing the gorgeous dresses her sister made for her. There were family pictures on the mantelpiece alongside her china ornaments. 

I think home is extremely important. It’s the things around you that make you who you are. 

One lady I cared for had a cushion on the chair that her grandmother made. If you asked her about it you could see her face light up, she loved to talk about it, it really meant something to her. Others have cups and saucers they remember as children or furniture that’s been in the family for generations. 

We aim to keep people in the comfort and happiness of their own home for as long as possible. Making them feel loved and reassuring them they are safe is part of the job. 

They say: ‘thank you so much, you are doing an amazing job’ and that appreciation really makes me smile. 

There’s a good team at Bluebird Care and we are just like a close family. 

I’m glad I became a care assistant. I’m 22 now. I’m happy knowing that I have a stable job. I see friends coming out of university, and they don’t have a job. It makes me realise I was right to do what I did and I’m happy where I am. 

When I put my feet up at the end of the day I know I’ve made a difference, and I’ve done something that’s been worthwhile.