Helen
Despite building a successful home baking business over the past nine years, Helen felt stuck in a rut. With her children getting older, she was keen to find a flexible job that could fit around her business, while giving her the opportunity to meet people and learn new skills.
"Working with ECL has opened up a whole new world to me" - Helen
“I’ve been baking professionally for nearly a decade and I love what I do but as my kids got older, I was feeling increasingly isolated working in the kitchen all day" say Helen. “I knew I didn’t want to give up my ‘day job’ but I was struggling to find a rewarding role that I could do in the evenings.
My sister has worked for ECL for two years and suggested I contact them to see if there was anything available. She’s only ever had positive things to say about the company so, although I was nervous about potentially moving into a new industry, I knew I would be in safe hands. After a quick search, I found exactly what I was looking for – a vacancy for a part-time carer, working in the evenings.
“The application process was straight-forward and everyone I spoke to was really friendly, so I was delighted to be asked to interview for the position. I hadn’t done an interview since before my kids were born so I was a bit out of practise, but I felt supported by ECL every step of the way. Although I felt quietly confident, I was so relieved when I heard I was going to be offered the job and jumped at the chance to take on a new, exciting challenge”
“Even though Covid-19 has made things difficult this year the team has made me feel incredibly welcome and I’ve had nothing but encouragement from everybody. I received intensive training, which was daunting and interesting in equal measure, and was able to shadow experienced staff members to learn the ropes before heading out on my own. I’ve always felt able to ask questions, no matter how silly they may seem, and I know that help is only ever a phone call away”
“I’m learning new things every day and am thoroughly enjoying meeting and getting to know the customers. It is such a privilege to be invited into people’s homes, particularly when someone might be at their lowest ebb. To know I’m able to provide them with the support they need and hopefully brighten their day a little is so rewarding and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend a career in care to anyone.
I’m so glad I took a leap into the unknown with ECL, it really has opened up a whole new world for me”.