Cast your mind back 15 years. Brazil beat Germany to win the FIFA World Cup in Japan, and Hogwarts fans everywhere were brimming with excitement over the release of the second Harry Potter film. But for Sarah Hands in Warwickshire, she was joining her namesake of a company and embarking on a rewarding career in care.
As Sarah approaches her 15th anniversary, let’s take a look back at her journey from being a qualified chef to providing quality care for adults of all ages across Warwickshire.
Sarah’s first steps in care
Sarah (middle) with Helping Hands CEO Tim (left) and Chief Operating Officer Ben
Before joining Helping Hands, Sarah worked as a qualified chef, which she continued doing while working as a visiting carer in and around Alcester. Now, as the Warwickshire Field Care Supervisor, Sarah can still be found out in the community on a regular basis. She enjoys meeting our customers, and has even been one of our visiting carers, knowledge which she is proud to be able to share with our current carers.
“I really enjoy working for Helping Hands,” Sarah says. “Every day is different and I feel that it is a very rewarding job. Each day has its own different challenges but I work well with my team to resolve them.”
To this day, Sarah is still out supporting our customers in Warwickshire who need regular, one-to-one support at home. She carries out overnight care for individuals all across the county, making sure that they have someone to help them during the twilight hours.
A memorable moment in care
Sarah has had many proud moments while working for us. One which makes her feel especially proud was supporting a gentleman whose needs could become challenging occasionally.
“Helping this gentleman was testing every now and then,” Sarah says. “But by working together with his occupational therapists and his family, we managed to give the right support for his needs.”
Growing as a team
Since Sarah joined us in 2002, Helping Hands has grown at an incredible rate. And Sarah has flourished, moving from a carer role to a supervisor of carers in her area. She says that she loves seeing her team develop alongside of her.
“The Warwickshire carers are amazing to work with,” Sarah explains. “I try and get out and see them as much as I can as they have a lot of knowledge about the people they care for, which helps with putting the support plan together and showing them that there’s always someone to help if they need some advice.”
She also has some advice for new carers looking to follow in her footsteps. “I’d encourage any of our carers to not be afraid of asking questions,” Sarah says. “There’s no such thing as a silly question; if they’re ever unsure, they can always ask either the office or other carers. Communication is always good and it helps a lot.”
Discover more about Helping Hands
As Helping Hands continues to support more and more families across England and Wales, we’re always on the lookout for new carers to join our team. And, just as Sarah has shown, there are plenty of opportunities to grow your career in care.
Search for the latest job opportunities at Helping Hands by calling us on 0808 274 7734 to find out more about becoming a carer. Previous experience is not necessary as we provide full award-winning training before you start and support every step of the way.
