Any Personal Care/support workers?

[Smashedpotatoes]

I have been a SAHM for 5 years (which is a terrifyingly long time), but with one child at school and the other due to be going in 2 years time I am starting to think about returning to work and what the hell to do / how to do it.

I don't particularly have any desire to go back to the field I used to work in and given I'd be starting from scratch anyway it could be a good time to try something new. So I've been looking up just about any and every job going and the other day happened to stumble across some Personal Care Assistant/1:1 support worker job adverts and there was something in them that really appealed to me. I think the idea of working with someone 1:1 appealed very much, particularly those working with children. Most of the jobs I've seen were for a day a week which would fit in perfectly for me whilst the kids are young.

However, it's so unlike my previous job I have no idea if I'm living in cloud cuckoo land. I did work many moons ago in a healthcare role but so long ago it can't really count as experience. Wondering if someone can tell me what it's actually like / how you ended up doing the job and whether you enjoyed it. Some adverts seem to seek experience whilst some are more focussed on getting a person that they get on with / feel comfortable with, but obviously I'm wondering whether I'm daft to even think about applying with such a long gap on my CV (and pretty irrelevant experience before that!).
Thank you!

Me! And I love it. Have worked with 5 separate families now, and what they really want is kindness, reliability and someone they can trust in their home. Motherhood prepares you brilliantly, so don't worry about employment gaps.

The reason it's 5 is that due to the nature of my particular clients (elderly) it sadly comes to an end due to them going into residential care, or passing away.

Thank you so much @Teetreat that is what stood out in most of the adverts I read, people looking for someone they could trust, who would be kind and dependable and who they'd be comfortable with in their home. I think it's what appealed, it was the first job advert I'd read where I thought, I'd really like to do that.

Can I ask did you have experience before going into it?

I worked in a residential care home years ago, so yes, I suppose I did. But then a gap of 12 years as a sahm.
What I would suggest is sending a fairly informal email in reply to an ad that interests you, and say that while you've not had direct experience, you can offer the things suggested above. Most PA jobs don't require much in the way of personal care. They are more support based - effectively facilitating people's day to day lives. Always keep in mind how you yourself would like to be treated if you needed assistance - dignity and respect are hugely important, and attention to detail like awareness of trip hazards etc. Most people appreciate being supported to do what they can for themselves too. If you're a kind person it's easy to overdo the helpfulness, so guard against that.
I've found it a much more relaxed process than applying for any other sort of job. People generally want to meet you and see if you and they get on, and usually offer trial shifts as well.

Thanks so much @teetreat, that's really helpful. I appreciate it!

I wish you the very best of luck. You won't get rich doing it but there's an enormous amount of job satisfaction.

I just re-read your OP and realised you liked the look of working with children. All the more reason to use your experience as a mother. If a child has special needs it's highly likely that you'll get training, particularly if they have a support package. Alternatively you might be helping overwhelmed and overtired parents with cleaning/cooking/ ferrying kids about. The same patience/kindness/reliability/willingness to learn on the job all still stand though x

I have done PA work for several families and it's different every time. One family I have been with for nearly a decade, and I may be for a decade more because the role is so comfortable and natural.

In one setting, I was a member of a team who together provided round the clock support. That role was brilliant because it was well structured and offered training in that person's care needs. No previous experience was necessary and the team were great to work with.

In another setting, I worked one-to-one with a person for around 5 years. It started out ok, but eventually felt isolated without a team around. The individual became more challenging over time and the family situation deteriorated. Without any line management or supervision, there was no one to debrief or ask for support. Safeguarding and abuse issues arose and had to be reported, and in the end trying to resign felt like leaving an abusive relationship.

I'm not saying that to put you off. It just highlights some things to take into account when you look at a PA role. Does the individual have any challenging behaviour, and is any support available in terms of supervision?

Lots of local authorities and colleges offer free or low cost training on things like Safeguarding, Moving and Handling, and Epilepsy Awareness, so it's worth checking those out too.

So sorry @WhoWants2Know I just saw your post. Thank you so much, it is really useful to think about how things can go wrong / what to look out for. And good thinking about free training which might be available. I'll have a look into that in my local area. Thank you.