This month’s blog is all about the importance of training and recruitment for homecare workers.
As a son, daughter, friend or other relative, you need to know your loved one is in excellent hands.
Excellence comes in many forms but starting well and staying there are essential. Why? Because in our view, the role of a carer goes beyond “normal” daily tasks. As important as these are, we all deserve and expect a special kind of person; someone with a kind, respectful approach, lots of initiative and of course, above and beyond empathy and intuition to be there for us when we need them.
As well as skills, it’s how a carer looks after you that will make a critical difference. We think this is an extra element. However subtle, it could even determine how long you remain safe and happy in the comfort of your own home.
Eaton Home Care’s reputation goes before us, and we’re delighted to receive so many personal recommendations.
Not least because we offer across-the-board, high-quality consistent care  to many long-standing clients. Here, we’ll run through our own focus on the importance of training and recruitment for homecare workers. If you’re looking for a home care provider, always ask them how all this works in their organisation.
Getting It Right. First Time, Every Time
As an independent, private homecare provider, we’re heavily focused on governance and standards. Everything we do is thorough, compliant, and most importantly current.
Those joining us know we’ll train (and pay) them well. In return, we’ll ask and encourage for our approach and values to be upheld and maintained. There are processes to follow: from excellent presentation, clear communication, punctuality, and attention to detail, to the delivery of personalised  care.
Company Culture
Let’s start with what we are and represent. Our philosophy if you like. It runs through everything we do like letters in a stick of rock.
We aim to understand people’s backgrounds, and above all, we’re fair and inclusive.
Eaton Home Care promotes equality (same-sex care allowing), and as a care company, we’re also mindful of our team’s well-being by accommodating specific health needs as much as possible. Plus, we empower everyone to have a voice through ongoing support – and an open-door policy.
Importantly, we want our employees to grow via exciting development programmes, including QCF Qualifications – a career progression into nursing – something only available if a business is nurse-led, which we are.
Elsewhere, regular company-wide skills training keeps our team’s skills sharp and current.
Carers enjoy the fact that they support  long-term clients on established rounds. Everything everywhere is extremely high-quality, and our staff are proud to represent us. For example, they have enough time at each visit: a minimum of 30 minutes, not 15. The result? An exceptionally low staff turnover.
Recruitment
Where possible, Eaton Home Care recruits locally.
We have regional teams, with good knowledge of the local area. In other words, our clients benefit from authentic care in the community.
Who are we looking for? In brief, the right person.
They may be experienced, returning to caring after a career break or, in some circumstances, brand-new to the care profession – but with an exceptional spark, personality or attitude we feel could make them excellent for the position. Applicants may be home-grown or from overseas; with an understanding of this robustly regulated sector, at Eaton, there are no barriers to a rewarding career.
Each candidate will be interviewed face-to-face, with a series of competency-based questions. Also, as communication holds the key to high-standard caring, they’ll be assessed on their verbal and written skills.
Eaton Home Care will make job offers promptly. Then, we’ll carry out an enhanced  DBS check and request and qualify all references.
Training
We offer blended training from E-learning, classroom-based and hands-on practical training such as  moving equipment and administering medication all of which is thorough. It sounds so obvious, but please ensure you check training records when considering support from any regulated provider… Before our new staff members go solo, they also complete on-the-job shadowing.
And, with Eaton, learning and development are continuous, with numerous homecare courses available. In our experience, professional and personal development helps our employees do their jobs really well. However, it’s also about engagement, self-confidence, and growth such as  dementia and Parkinson’s training.
Why Is Recruitment and Training for Homecare Workers so Important?
Starting Right
Effective recruitment is vital:
It starts on the right path and then, well – it carries on going down that path. But it has to be done right, so we have specialist in-house expertise to make it happen.
Eaton Home Care aims to hire candidates who meet our needs, your needs and whose approach aligns with our culture. In other words, the way we recruit and the standards we uphold help us find the like-minded team that we know will be perfect for both you and for us.
Self-evidently, without training, something minor – or major – could go wrong. Or, put our clients at risk. We’re about care, not being careless. Good-standard training facilitates staff to deliver safe, effective care.
Sticking to The Rules:
Quite rightly, for the benefit of both the  clients and those who work in care, the UK care sector is highly regulated. A full induction and ongoing training are legal requirements. It’s also a requirement that to care for people with certain needs, training must be provided. It just makes sense.
The Importance of Training and Recruitment for Homecare Workers: Reducing Attrition
Although Eaton Home Care pays above average  salary levels, not to put too fine a point on it, we’ve found that in all professions, it’s not necessarily all about the money!
We invest in people.
Training and development programmes help us to find, develop and most importantly, keep great people. Feeling well-equipped to do a great job reduces employee stress and helps everyone feel like the valuable member of staff they are.
How would you like to be cared for? Most likely, with homecare training and recruitment that meets your high standards. And ours.
Get in touch with Eaton Home Care for more information.
