Choose Care – Change Lives

Simply put – Home Carer Kayleigh Swannie “loves” her job.

The 23-year-old has been a relief Home Carer covering the West Mainland since April 2017.

She’s a well kent face out west having worked with most of the teams and folk who are supported to live at home at some stage during this time.

Kayleigh said: “I left school and wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do. I worked in retail for just under a year and didn’t like it. I then applied for Home Care and have been there since. I then applied for a HNC accounting course in Inverness in and moved to Inverness in 2018. I still worked in Home Care in the holidays and my time at home, then COVID hit and I got sent home from college in March 2019 to finish my studies online. Since then, I have worked with Home Care full time again whilst completing my studies. Home Care is a really good job because it’s flexible hours and with me being relief I can work it around my studies.

“I love my job. I love being able to go out and help more vulnerable people stay comfortable in their own homes, whilst having the opportunity to get to know them and gain a bond between them. It doesn’t really feel like work, because everyone is so lovely, it’s just a part of life now and I love making others lives better. Some users get four visits a day, this is nice because you really get to know the user even after one day, we’ve exchanged stories and chatted a lot.

“I think they are happy with me - I often get comments about how cheery I am and how I brighten their day when I come into the room which is nice. Being appreciated by the users I care for is really rewarding. A lot of users are really happy to see the carers because sometimes we are the only person they see in a day.”

Kayleigh has already showcased her willingness to go over and above – she made the local and national news earlier this year when heavy and drifting snow meant she had to use a tractor to ensure her clients were visited!

She added: “I would say if you’re not sure it’s definitely worth trying. I started out really nervous about if I was going to be good at the job, unsure of how I was going to cope with personal care and more vulnerable users. But I had my training days and the others carers I work with couldn’t be more helpful. They want what’s best for you and the  service users so they are always willing to help and give advice where necessary. It just takes the confidence to apply and do the job and within a couple of weeks it just feels like you’ve been doing it forever.” 

Could you also Choose Care – Change Lives!

Apply and join our fantastic team – www.orkney.gov.uk/wecare