Meet Gemma

Gemma loved her former care job, but didn’t love her employer. After taking a brief hiatus overseas to reevaluate her options, she decided caring was still vocation and set about finding a company that cared for its colleagues as much as its customers – enter, ECL!

I’d encourage anyone looking for a new job in care to apply

Gemma began her career in care five years ago. She immediately fell in love with her role but unfortunately wasn’t quite so taken by her previous employer. Keen to find a company that would make her feel at home, she started the search for a new position. That’s when she came across a Community Care Assistant vacancy with ECL on LinkedIn.

“I really enjoyed my first care job, but the company itself wasn’t the most supportive place to work,” says Gemma. “I wanted to stay in the sector but to do that, needed to find a provider that had a track record of caring for its colleagues as much as its customers. I was encouraged by all the positive reviews for ECL and the reablement focus of the Community Care Assistant role was exactly what I was looking for, so I applied!”

Despite having to navigate evolving restrictions imposed during the pandemic, Gemma sailed through her interview and was able to complete face-to-face induction training at the Durrington office. She says, “My first impressions of ECL were great – from the initial telephone interview through to starting work, I felt well supported by both management and my new colleagues and I couldn’t wait to get going.”

Confident she’d found her place, in no time at all Gemma felt bold enough to pursue promotion. She had soon progressed to a new administrative role, and before long set her sights on tackling another challenge within the resource planning team.

Gemma says, “It was clear from the outset that the ethos at ECL is very much about lifting each other up, which was exactly the sort of working environment I’d been looking for. Knowing that I had the backing of my team, I didn’t hesitate to go for a promotion when the right job came up and I’m so pleased I did because I’ve learnt a whole host of new skills on my journey so far. I’m now a Resource Planner and thoroughly enjoying it.”

For Gemma, the best parts of her job are the team spirit and the variation each day brings. She says, “I’m so glad I found ECL. Nothing is ever a silly question, everyone is so supportive and helpful – it’s really such a lovely place to work and I’d encourage anyone considering a new job in care to apply!”

If Gemma’s experience has got you thinking about a job in care, visit our careers page and see why our colleagues love working for ECL.