Care is often described as one of the most challenging and yet one of the most rewarding roles you can do.
We sat down with care workers to talk about what it's like to work in care.
"To be a carer, to me, is one of the most privileged jobs you could ever do", said Stephen, a home care manager. "It's not easy though, no two days are the same."
"A lot of people think being a carer is just making cups of tea or a meal, but it’s not, it's about making an impact on people's lives, and these people depend on you", added Nicola, a care worker in Tameside.
The profession of making someone's day, or being the very reason they are able to get up in the morning is not light work, but it may well be the most rewarding. Being a carer requires strength of mind as well as a gentleness. To have the strength to deal with the difficult parts of the role: personal care, ill health, challenging situations, but also the sensitivity to people’s emotions and needs and above all, a willingness to help them.
“You get to make someone’s life fun. If they haven’t been out the house in a year, I want to get them out of that house. That’s what this job is about for me”. The role of a carer is not black and white, and no two days are the same. But that means you get to change someone’s life and make each day better for them.
"You have to have patience and empathy, and it has to come from the inside. You have to be passionate about it - you have to care about other people to care for other people."
