Tamara
When the outbreak of Covid-19 forced events coordinator Tamara to reconsider her options and pursue an alternative career path, she found a new professional home in care. Ambitious as ever, she was keen to gain experience of as many aspects of the industry as possible and is now flying through the ranks with ECL…
“Working in care is so rewarding. I really feel like I’m doing something worthwhile with my life now”
Like so many others, Tamara’s world was turned upside down by the emergence of the global pandemic. As a professional in the events industry, when nationwide lockdowns made large gatherings off limits, she decided it was time to explore other avenues and found herself a temporary role in domiciliary care.
While she enjoyed helping people and quickly found her feet in an unfamiliar sector, Tamara was keen to expand her knowledge base further and learn about other types of care. Her search led her to ECL’s Reablement Service. She says, “I liked the concept of reablement compared to the domiciliary care I’d been providing and knew I wanted to try something new, so I applied! Both the application and interview processes were smooth, despite my interviews being conducted online, and I was so pleased when I was told I’d got the job. The staff were all friendly and welcoming - I couldn’t wait to get started.”
After completing initial online training, she then went on to undertake a range of in-person sessions which covered some of the more specialist aspects of the role. “I had limited skills from my stint working in domiciliary care, but I have learnt so much about reablement and providing the right support out in the community since starting with ECL” says Tamara. “Any questions or concerns I’ve had I’ve felt completely comfortable raising with my manager and colleagues which has been incredibly reassuring, too.”
Talking about her work, Tamara says, “Reablement has been really fulfilling. I like the fact that I am able to create a support plan that is focused solely on the individual needs of our customers, finding ways that we can make their recoveries easier and their goals more accessible. I love being able to go on their journeys with them, reviewing and tweaking our provision along the way until we reach the point where we can say they’ve achieved their aims.”
Despite the difficult circumstances which led her into the industry, since becoming a carer Tamara has discovered a new sense of purpose. In just a few short months, she has gone from being a Community Care Assistant with ECL’s Reablement Service, to taking on an even greater challenge as one of the business’ Trusted Assessors. She says of her experience so far, “Working in care is so rewarding. I really feel like I’m doing something worthwhile with my life now.”