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People will always want human contact and no computer or automation will ever be able to fully replace this. People will always need care and people will likely always need carers to provide this service when they aren’t able to do it on their own any more. A career in care can be a satisfying, varied job that you will want to stay in.

Carers are Needed Now

The number of care worker vacancies has increased in the sector, this is due to having better healthcare and an increased aging population. In a report from June 2022 on the health and social care workforce, the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee reported that an extra 475,000 jobs would be needed in health and 490,000 jobs would be needed in social care by the early part of the 2030s. This gives people choosing a career in care now lots of options and opportunities.

Social care is an absolute priority for the UK government, backed by £5.4 billion in spending. The white paper People at the Heart of Care plan to reform social care sets out a 10-year vision for adult social care and funding proposals. There has never been a better time to join the sector.

Why Should You Care?

Many of the people who gravitate towards care work do so because of the benefits it offers around a good work/life balance and emotional job satisfaction. Carers can choose to work hours around their own responsibilities, it offers flexibly in hours that work around their own family needs. 

When looking at care work; it’s not ‘just a job’, there are many wonderful opportunities for career progression. The on-the-job training and qualifications you’ll receive – as well as the many transferable skills you will undoubtedly pick up – will set you up for progressing within the industry. 

And perhaps most importantly, there are few things more fundamentally rewarding than helping and caring for others. Whether this is helping an older person to enjoy their day and supporting them with their short or long-term health needs, caring for others is a huge privilege. Not many jobs can boast that.

Care workers qualify for the highly regarded Blue Light Card, which offers a broad range of official discounts from large national retailers to local businesses in a wide range of categories including holidays, cars, days out, fashion, gifts, insurance, phones and more.

If you enjoy caring for others, a job as a care worker is a fantastic opportunity to gain many skills that embrace your natural empathy. There are many care homes throughout the UK in need of kind, compassionate people who help residents have a better quality of life and feel more comfortable.

So, if you’re thinking about retraining and would love making a positive difference in people’s lives, this could be the start of a wonderful career for you. 

If you want to explore a rewarding career with Altogether Care, please send your CV by email for the attention of the Recruitment Manager at careers@altogethercare.co.uk or call Altogether Care on 01305 230488.

Care at home is a great option when you’re able to stay at home but need support
with everyday tasks. If you have a disability, are recuperating from an illness,
recovering from an accident, or just need help with everyday tasks, our wide range
of home care services could be for you.

Download our infographic here

We are thrilled to have recently had the Our Dorset’s Here For Each Other team visit our wonderful staff in their coffee van as part of their ‘Hug in a Mug’ tour.

The tour is a great opportunity for staff and teams across Dorset to physically meet the team who may have supported them in the past and get answers to questions around the support available to them. So far, the team has visited many sites and plans to visit many more sites in the coming months.

Here For Each Other is Our Dorset’s enhanced staff wellbeing service supporting staff and teams across Dorset who work in social care to look after their wellbeing while prioritising others.

They have a wide range of offers ranging from; wellbeing coaching to physiotherapy, counselling, psychological therapy and mental health. There’s something for everyone and they are always here to help.

Staff and teams can access support on the website or from the Enhanced Health and Wellbeing Hub via an online referral or by calling 01202 130130 (Mon-Fri, 08:00 – 16:00).

They also offer a monthly Wellbeing Buzz newsletter full of wellbeing updates and resources from across Dorset’s health and care sector.

Find out more on their website

What’s the difference between a job and a career? A job is simply something you do for money. You trade a number of hours of your life for a financial return. Your job last year or next year doesn’t look much different from your job today.

A career is something you commit to for the longer term. Ahead of you, you can see a pathway to new skills, new knowledge and new opportunities.

Not everyone wants or needs a career. For some, a job is fine – they just want to pay the bills. But for a lot of people a job with repetitive routines and experiences isn’t a good fit. It’s dull and unfulfilling. It doesn’t feel like they’re doing anything that matters very much.

If that all sounds a bit too familiar, maybe it’s time to explore different options.

The care sector is a great place to build a career. There are different types of care and many different specialisms to explore and potentially master. There is always opportunities to continuing learning and developing as a person.

Are Jobs Secure?

The other issue when you have a job can be security. The world of work is constantly changing; Your job today might not exist in a few years’ time. If your knowledge and skills aren’t evolving, you might not find it easy to adapt to something new.

Your career is something to engage with, in a way that you never can with a job. It can bring satisfaction, pride in your work and a sense of achievement as you progress.

Another big advantage of building your career in the care sector is that there will always be a need for what you do. The population is ageing and some people will need specialist care as they live longer and develop health conditions, others will just need a bit of help with everyday life. Your skills will always be in demand.

Altogether Care is committed to career development for all of our staff. So if you’re looking for a change and want to start a rewarding career, give Altogether Care a call on 01305 230488 or email careers@altogethercare.co.uk, or check out our current vacancies.

If you ask most older people what they value most when they use care services, ‘independence’ usually comes near the top of the list. But what does ‘independence’ mean?

Meet Marjorie. She’s a bit less mobile than she used to be. Her daughter who lives in a different part of the country is worried about whether Marjorie can manage in her own home and what would happen if she had a fall.

She suggests that her mother should move into a specially converted annex in her daughter’s house where she can live independently but with somebody on hand to look out for her.

It seems like a sensible solution. It would suit many people. But for Marjorie it means moving out of the home she knows, away from her friends and her social life. It doesn’t feel like independence.

And that’s the point – independence is whatever it means to the individual.

Altogether Care encourages all of our care home residents to live as independently as possible. We know that this is important for mental wellbeing. 

For our clients in residential care this works just fine. Their idea of independence is often the freedom to get on with things they enjoy, including the wide range of activities available, while somebody else takes care of many of the routine chores of daily life. But it isn’t the right option for everyone.

For other people independence means staying in their own home for as long as possible. We help them to live independently with support from our care at home service, which includes assistive technology for peace of mind for all the family. Sometimes they opt for round-the-clock care and companionship with live-in care.

We always listen to the individual and try to understand what matters most. It’s not fair to impose solutions – no matter how well intentioned.

We never assume we know what somebody means when they say they want independence. It’s a personal matter. Good quality elderly care is all about personal choices and supporting people in the way they want to live.

That’s why Altogether Care offers a range of care services that support people in the most appropriate way and so their care can be continuously adapted as their needs and wishes evolve.

If you’d like to explore care options available for yourself or an elderly relative, give Altogether Care a call, visit our website, or email contact@altogethercare.co.uk.

The New Year is typically the time of year when we reflect on the things we want to change in our lives. Since it takes up so much precious time, maybe your job is a good place to start.

According to recent research by the Resolution Foundation, 54% of people say they are ‘satisfied’ with their work. Put another way, nearly half aren’t. And ‘satisfied’ isn’t really a demanding benchmark, is it?

How many of those people are enthused by their work because they can see that it’s worthwhile and they feel supported by their employer? Do they get to go home at the end of every day and say, ‘what I did today was important and made a difference’?

Is Yours a Good Place to Work?

Job satisfaction isn’t just about the work you do and the tasks you perform. Your relationship with your employer also matters. So, what’s your relationship with your current job and employer like? Would you use any of the following words to describe it: trust, respect, positive, compassionate?

These, along with safety, are the principles outlined in Altogether Care’s Staff Charter. More importantly they’re the values that govern how we work, what you could expect from us as an employer and what we would expect from you in return.

If those values sound appealing but don’t reflect your current job, maybe it’s time for a change. In the care sector you have the opportunity to do something that really matters every day. Something that makes a difference to people’s lives. Not many careers give you the chance to do that. And at Altogether Care you’ll find a supportive employer who will help you build your career in care.

You can find more information on different care careers on the Skills for Care website. Alternatively, if you live in south Somerset or Dorset and are thinking about a more rewarding career, contact us on 01305 230488 or email careers@altogethercare.co.uk, or check out our current vacancies.

A career in care means doing important work with lots of responsibility. While that can be a welcome change from more routine jobs, we recognise it can also be a bit daunting. That’s why we work hard to support you as a new recruit and equip you with the skills and confidence you need.

What will never happen is a situation where you’re expected to deliver care without proper training and guidance. You will always have the knowledge, skills and support you need to do your job.

Induction

When you start a new career in care there’s a lot to learn. We’re careful not to overload you with too much information in one go – so your induction programme can stretch over several weeks including shadow shifts. During that time, you’ll be supported by your supervisor to help you apply what you’ve learned in practice.

The induction programme starts by making sure you understand your role and what you’ll be expected to do. You’ll also learn more about Altogether Care and the sector in general.

We also look at more general topics such as communication, equality and diversity, health and safety and safeguarding. Making sure that you and the clients you support are safe at all times is our first priority.

As an organisation we are fully committed to putting our clients first. We make sure they are fully involved in all decisions affecting their care. The induction programme also covers how this works in practice.

Your New Career In Care

The induction programme is just the start. Many of our staff have been with us for a long time. Part of the reason for this (apart from being a generally great place to work) is that everyone is actively supported to develop their skills and career. You’ll have regular reviews with your supervisor and regular training to update your knowledge and skills.

So if you’re considering a change of job, a new career in care could be just what you need. At Altogether Care you’ll get all the support you need to help you make the transition and succeed.

Contact us on 01305 230488 or email careers@altogethercare.co.uk, or check out our current vacancies.

As we get older, tasks that we used to take in our stride start to become a bit harder. This is a normal feature of the ageing process. With things like DIY, home improvements and decorating it seems easy and normal to accept that there are jobs we used to do ourselves that we now pay somebody to do for us.

When it comes to personal care sometimes we’re a bit more reluctant to accept that we need help. There are many reasons for this. If you have an elderly relative who is adamant that they ‘can cope just fine, thank you very much,’ even when you can plainly see they can’t, it’s quite normal.

If you see it from their perspective it can feel a bit like giving in. Ageing and a decline in physical (or mental) capacity can be a hard thing to accept. Hiring a carer, even for just a few hours a week, can feel like giving up your independence. It can even feel like one step closer to leaving your own home and going into residential care.

But there’s no reason why older people should have to struggle with everyday tasks. A care at home service can make a huge difference to their quality of life. Getting a relative to accept the help they need often depends on how you handle the discussion.

Introduce the Idea Gently

Going in with both feet and expecting somebody to instantly accept that they need a care at home service will probably be counterproductive. They are more likely to dig their heels in.

It’s a good idea to introduce the idea gradually and maybe steer clear of terms like care service. Perhaps have a more general conversation about how they see the future. Talk about the possibility of getting somebody to help around the house rather than a carer. Give them time to get used to the idea.

Focus on the positives and talk about more enjoyable ways that they could spend their time rather than on doing things that are a struggle.

Don’t Take Over

Exasperation is a normal reaction when somebody refuses to accept help. But ultimately it’s their decision – unless social services decide that they are incapable of caring for themselves. You can’t decide for them and shouldn’t try to. Concentrate on being supportive and making sure that they feel they are in control. 

If you have any questions about the best way to broach the subject of getting support from a care at home service, the team at Altogether Care will be happy to answer them. Please visit https://altogethercare.co.uk/care-at-home/ or call 01305 300 161 for more details.

How many people can say that what they did at work today made a real difference to somebody? And how many people are lucky enough to be certain that the sector they work in has almost guaranteed long-term employment and career development opportunities?

In many walks of life, employment is precarious and unsatisfying. But it isn’t in the care sector and definitely isn’t with Altogether Care.

Not only do you get job security and satisfaction, you get the chance to work with great colleagues and meet fascinating people with diverse backgrounds every day.

Starting Your Care Career – Support and Development

If you haven’t worked in care before, don’t worry about being thrown in at the deep end. You’ll get a thorough induction, job-specific training and support from more experienced colleagues to help you settle into your new career.

You’ll also get regular reviews and one-to-one supervisions that will help you develop your career and your confidence.

Development and Career Pathways

Through formal qualifications and professional training, there are many opportunities to develop a successful career in care. This could be by specialising in particular areas such as dementia care or by enhancing your supervisory or management skills to move into a leadership role.

Whichever way you’d like your career to grow, the leadership team at Altogether Care will be here to help and support you.

We can offer you attractive hourly rates, full-time permanent contracts, free professional training, and a great range of staff benefits.

The staff benefits scheme also includes:

• Retail discount vouchers
• Discounted holidays and travel insurance
• Various leisure and restaurant vouchers
• A hospital plan

If you’re looking for a job with security, opportunity and the chance to make a real difference to people’s lives, we have what you’re looking for.

Check out current opportunities at https://altogethercare.co.uk/careers/ or contact us on 01305 230 488 and let’s talk about your future in care.

Covid-19 has been life-changing for many older people, including those who didn’t contract the virus. Lockdown was a difficult experience. As a result many older people feel more isolated, less confident about going out or socialising and often less physically able.

The mental and physical wellbeing of many people has been badly affected. But – and this is the important bit – this can be reversed. There’s no reason why the majority of older people shouldn’t get back to enjoying active and fulfilling lives with a bit of help and support.

Here are some basic guidelines that will help you regain your confidence to live life a little more normally. There’s plenty more information available online but the first step is to tell yourself ‘I’m going to do this.’

Start By Eating Well

Many older people report feeling less able to prepare their own meals as a result of lockdown. So they don’t eat regularly. Or they eat less healthy foods that don’t take much effort and have comforting extra calories.

First point: don’t beat yourself up about this if it sounds like you. It’s a fairly normal reaction in a time of anxiety and you’re not alone. But also tell yourself: ‘that was then, this is now. I’m focused on the future.’

Mental and physical wellbeing starts with good nutrition. A balanced diet makes sure that we have the vitamins and minerals our bodies and minds need to function properly. We also need energy to gradually take more exercise and help our bones and muscles get back to normal. If we feel well because we are eating well we’re also less likely to feel anxiety.

It might be worth considering using a care at home service for a while just to help with meal preparation. The aim of this would be to help you get back to the stage where you are ready to take on the task of making healthy meals for yourself.

Research by Age UK also found that 41% of the people they surveyed were finding it harder to clean and tidy their home. This is another area where a care at home service can help.

Exercise

Confidence is largely about feeling we have the strength and mobility to go out and do things without getting into problems or falling over. Getting back to normal levels of mobility may take a while but the most important thing is to start. 

Aim to walk as far as you can, as quickly as you can. At first this might be to the end of the street or even just around the house. That’s fine. Start with whatever you can manage and then gradually build it up. There are plenty of items around the house such as tins of beans or bags of flour that you can use as improvised weights to rebuild muscle strength.

Anxiety

The knowledge that older people are among the most vulnerable to Covid-19 made many anxious about going out – even for a short walk.

The good news is that for double vaccinated people, the risk of becoming seriously ill appears to be low. As you improve your nutrition and fitness your risk will fall even further.

The best advice seems to be to take things slowly at first and gradually build up your confidence. Again, the important thing is to get started and progressively push your limits. Outings with a friend, family member or carer are a helpful way to become accustomed to being out and about, while knowing that there’s somebody to keep an eye on you.

If you’re concerned about an elderly relative whose confidence and wellbeing have been affected by the lockdown, Altogether Care will be happy to offer advice. We may also be able to arrange a temporary care at home support package. To find out more about the services at Altogether Care, contact 01305 206 140.

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The highly successful NHS vaccine programme along with the arrival of summer weather spells great news for care home residents and staff. The easing in lockdown restrictions has meant residents have started to enjoy their weekly outings and seeing loved ones again.

Within certain limits, friends and family can make visits to our care homes. Our clients can also get out to have a much-appreciated change of scenery. The pandemic showed just how much we take for granted the simple everyday pleasures that make such a difference to our lives. For residents with dementia or Alzheimer’s, restoring regular personal contact with family members is particularly important.

Over the coming weeks and months, we’ll obviously be keeping a close eye on local infection rates and the emergence of Covid-19 variants. We’re hoping that we’re on the road to a complete return to normal with unrestricted visitor numbers and times (as of May 17, up to five people could be nominated as visitors, with a maximum of two at a time). We’re also looking forward eventually to no face masks or social distancing and no need for regular testing. 

READ MORE USEFUL RESOURCES

Ready for Anything

But the team is also ready to act swiftly if needed and do whatever it takes to keep everyone safe. We have an outbreak management plan prepared, just in case.

Perhaps everything won’t go fully back to as it was before Covid. Like many care home providers across the country, we’re looking at some of the measures introduced over that last year and deciding what, if anything, we should retain. 

As you’d expect, our infection control measures were always rigorous. But now that regular hand sanitising – particularly when people enter our care homes – has become a routine, it seems sensible to keep doing it.

Many of our residents have become much more used to using technology and video calls to keep in touch with friends and family. This is certain to continue between visits and could be a positive legacy of the awful virus.

After a difficult year and a bit, the news is looking better. Hopefully, before too long it really will be back to normal.

VISITATION POLICY

What’s On

Pub Lunches

We are delighted to welcome back our weekly pub lunches for residents, where we take residents out to enjoy their favourite meal in a local pub. Today marks the first pub lunch in a long time as three of our residents left in high spirits to enjoy their meal in the sunshine.

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Bus Trips

Our twice-weekly bus trips will commence again next week, whether it’s to enjoy a day at the seaside, visit a local attraction, or do some shopping with a friend or family member.

Sherborne House: Nothing Beats Home-Grown

The fantastic weather has meant the residents’ vegetables in the gardens are all growing well. Since nutrition and diet is such an important part of wellbeing, it’s great to see that residents can begin to enjoy their very own home-grown vegetables fresh from the gardens. On the menu will be lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries, cucumbers, leeks and many more.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SHERBORNE HOUSE

Staff Welcome Party at Sherborne House

What better way to welcome new arrivals to the team than with a party. Sherborne House staff got to enjoy a party with food and soft drinks to welcome new staff from overseas. We are pleased that our new staff members are settling in well.

1970s Memorabilia

It’s always astonishing to see just how far technology has come. Residents got to enjoy some 1970s memorabilia, being shown old tv detectors, old police cars, old telephones and bicycles.

To find out more about our care homes, contact 01305 300 161 or email contact@altogethercare.co.uk.

With May 2021 being Stroke Awareness Month, the Beaminster Care at Home team decided to host a bake sale to raise awareness about the signs and symptoms of a stroke and what to do in the event of a stroke. A huge effort was put in by the Beaminster team as they kindly made some delicious cakes for locals to enjoy.

The Beaminster community was very supportive to the cause and it was lovely to hear from the locals. It was also fantastic to have such great support from local businesses who helped raise awareness about the bake sale.

We’d like to thank the locals for their support on the day and for sharing their stories with us. The Beaminster Care at Home team managed to raise a total of £240 for the charity.

For information on our Care at Home services, click here. You can also view a range of useful materials about health and wellbeing in later life by signing up to our free resource centre here.

VISIT THE STROKE ASSOCIATION’S WEBSITE

A person’s care needs change over time. This could be down to the ageing process and a gradual loss of physical or mental capabilities, or it could be a temporary situation caused by illness or an accident.

As care needs change, the top priority for most people is to maintain as much independence as possible. The route to achieving this is through flexibility. For a care provider like Altogether Care, this means more than simply offering a full range of care services. Most importantly, it means listening, understanding and working with you to design a care package that meets your needs and can easily adapt as those needs change.

CARE AT HOME COSTS

Independence can have many meanings – so it’s important to be clear what we’re talking about. At its heart it means that you are the one making the decisions. And that you continue doing as much as you are able to for yourself. The organisation providing your care services is there to help you achieve your goals – not to decide what’s best for you.

When somebody is struggling with a task there’s a big difference between saying ‘we’ll do that for you’ and ‘which bits of that task do you find most difficult and can we help?’

Staying In Your Own Home

Independence for many people means staying in their own home for as long as possible. The flexibility that makes this possible includes care services that range from simple help with daily tasks, to regular nursing care visits up to full-time live-in care. If adaptations are needed to make your home easier to live in the choices about any changes are still yours.

FLEXIBILITY IN CARE

If you decide that residential care is the most suitable option this doesn’t mean surrendering your independence. Residents in our care homes are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves and continue to decide what care support they need and how they want to spend their time.

The approach to flexibility at Altogether Care is about much more than the range of services we offer – it’s about our approach to your individual needs and choices. This ensures that maintaining your independence is always a priority.

For more information about our care services, contact 01305 206 140 or email contact@altogethercare.co.uk.