To feel I've reached my limit with my job. But don't know what else to do.

[Circuscats]

I used to come on here a fair bit but not so much now ... Anyway, I am 37. I have one DD who is 21. She is at university.

I've done a couple of different jobs but for the last 4 years I've worked in home care. I feel I've reached my absolute limit with it. I spent most of the 4 years working for the same company for £6.70 an hour, obviously this went up April 2015 to £7.20. But it was never £6.70 or £7.20... you get allocated times in quarter of an hour slots so 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes or one hour. Most calls were fifteen minutes so to make £6.70 you had to go to 4 different people. No travel time. Anti social hours - up at 5 to be at the first one for 6. Home past 11 at night. Up again early the next day. Weekends, Christmas, baking hot days in a traffic jam and sweaty uniform.

I mean I am saying the worst of it there and don't get me wrong I enjoyed some too otherwise I wouldn't have stayed so long but no doubt it did have an effect on me.

When my bed calls got to 14 people I decided enough was enough, I went to a new agency and this was in June. I really don't like it even though it's better run than the old one. You have to log in and out so you're on less money a lot of the time. Not enough hours either (opposite problem to the old one) and so you have to take what you can get to pay the bills. The people are quite rude too, not all of them but I have four calls in the morning and three are nice and one isn't but I dread it for the one whose rude.

So I'm desperate to do something else, away from care. But I've no ideas at all. I don't think I can retrain. DD has said when she's finished at university she will move in with me for a couple of years and pay the bills so I can refrain but I think that's a big ask of her and I don't feel it's fair to make her commit to that (she's a for offering though, that's something I did right!)

The other thing is I love DD to bits but I have been having these thoughts that maybe I'd love to have another baby. And I need to meet a man so is that possible/practical when being a FT student? And when I finished I'd be 40 which I know isn't totally past it in terms of having a baby but is pushing it.

Oh I don't know, I am just wondering, what would you do, if you were me?

[Adnerb95]

Why are you assuming there are no answers? Of course there are.

Come on OP, there is retail work, HR, tourism, catering. These often start out low-paid (no worse and possibly better than you are getting at the moment) but you can work your way up. - there is at least a career path.

Or what about something like the fire or ambulance service?

Or estate agency? (Yes I know we are all supposed to hate them but the good ones do a fantastic job)

Have you looked into the alternatives? Really?

Don't give up until you have.

[NightNightBadger19962]

I meant to say I did lots of pension and financial services training in the past working for an insurance company.

[NightNightBadger19962]

Was it the Halifax who were advertising apprenticeships aimed at a slightly older demographic? It might be worth talking to recruitment departments for big organisations (if you would consider private companies rather than public sector) to explain your aspirations and skills that would probably come across well in a conversation, and see if they can tell you where to look out for opportunities. you could work your way up within an organisation quite effectively once in the door, I should think, especially as you are keen to train.

[GenerationX2]

Dear Circuscats - I admit I have not read the full tread, but I just wanted to say thank you for what you do. We recently had to get a carerer for my dad and they were a life saver bitterly for him. Im overseas, and knowing someone was coming into him regularly helped me sleep at night. It truly sounds horrible and I can't believe that employment law lets you be exploited like this, but do know that the vast majority of families you work with are so very grateful for everything you do for their families every day.

I hope you figure out a better situation

[Mumoftwoyoungkids]

What were your A levels in? (I know it was a long time ago but it probably shows us what you like / how your brain work.)

What do you enjoy doing?

What are you good at?

Are you practical? Arty? Good at writing? Mathematical?

[Circuscats]

I ignored it because it came in the middle of other suggestions, not to be rude. It really isn't something I feel I could do or be good at.

I'm sorry people feel I'm being negative but a lot of suggestions have focuses rather doggedly on other forms of care / other minimum wage jobs and that really isn't what I want.

I suppose there aren't any answers, which isn't negative and is rather just practical.

[Adnerb95]

Forget NHS and all forms of care work - you've obviously had enough and in any case, will probably not pay you sufficient to justify the time training/retraining.

There are lots of other areas of work you could look into. I've suggested one - which you've ignored - if you don't fancy that, look into something else, for goodness sake!

[ImperialBlether]

You need to hang onto your house. It's your security.

I think you're in a great position. Think about what you really love to do - not what you think can make you money, but what you would love to do each day. Whereabouts are you? Are you near a city? In the north or the south? I would imagine from your mortgage you're not in the south!

[imother]

Sorry, that should be you only need a gas safety cert - the elec one is only recommended.

[imother]

There are mature students I know who do this, which is why I suggested it. You might be surprised to know that in my uni over half of nursing students are mature and some do house shares together while renting out their own places to help finance their training.

The costs of renting out don't need to be huge. A smoke alarm is a fiver and you only need an electricity safety cert, about £100 afaik.

You could try to get a big room so dd could stay with you. Rentals to nurses are usually 12month, because their courses are. Anyway I bet dd would rather share a room with you, than see you stuck in a job you don't want.

Plus you might meet a lovely doc to have your baby with

[cansu]

Have you thought about getting your own clients? I have two dc with asd and have been amazed at how difficult it is to find carers I can pay my direct payments to even when offering around ten pounds an hour.

[lamprey42]

getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/explore-my-options/teacher-training-routes/school-led-training this has lots of information about teacher training. You can do it school led but would need a degree first - I haven't looked into it but I think you could probably do this via open university.

[CodyKing]

OP you seem rather negative to all the suggestions

Carry on and nothing will change - you'll just drift

Unfortunately care work isn't going to put you in the path of a suitable male!!!

Think of it as a two way prong!

[fruitatthebottom]

But you don't have to carry on with that care work though.. get a job in a hospital, better shifts, better money, a pension.. or care work within a GP surgery or with a district nurse team. These are all better options than the work you are doing at the moment. Give it a try and if you still don't enjoy it then you can consider other options outside care at that time.

[Circuscats]

Here the NHS has no involvement in home care it's all outsourced to agencies. And I definitely don't want to work in a hospital, I think it's quite competitive anyway.

[flue]

I had my first DS at 18 as a single mum and I had similar yearnings when he reached adulthood - I felt the urge for a new partner/family and wanted to retrain. For me it ended up that meeting DH came first, which was quite fortunate as he was able to support me while I retrained - I would have had to work nights as well as attending uni if I had been on my own - I did the sums and the amount of money given in loans was impossible to live on even if I switched to student-style living. I got a degree in Maths, but I had a baby after my first year and interrupted my studies for that. It was tough to continue studying after that, but I had to be realistic about my biological clock so we couldn't have waited until I finished my degree. It has worked out pretty well, I got a first and I have a very good job now.

Most unis will want to see evidence of recent study even if you have A levels, if they are from years ago, so it's worth considering an Access course, but that will add an extra year before getting qualified. If you are thinking about teaching, subjects like Physics, Maths and Languages have good bursaries right now (although it's not guaranteed they'd be on offer by the time you start a PGCE).

[Doyouthinktheysaurus]

The nhs is a much better employer than private care firms, especially those providing home care.

I'm an RMN but Health Care Assistants I've worked with have gone on to work as phlebotomists, assistants in a physio clinic and in as HCA in an outpatient clinic. All 9-5 hours.

For that matter, caring roles in adult or children and young persons mental health are very different to elderly care but if you are interested in social work, may be worth considering in the short term.

[Circuscats]

I couldn't Im

To be honest a cheap house share would only be slightly less than the mortgage though admittedly without the bills, but there's DD to consider and the costs of renting your house out are high as you need things like smoke alarms and electricity checks. Plus I'm approaching 40 - I couldn't, go in a house share for all the tea in China!

[imother]

Here's a thought.

If you went to uni you could pay for cheap house share from your student loan (say £250pm) and live extremely frugally on the rest.

And then rent out your house to cover your mortgage and hopefully top up your income a bit too.

That would leave you free to retrain. Your CV would be perfect for nursing or teaching. In nursing you'd be almost guaranteed a job when you were qualified. Plus you can work a few shifts as a Helath Care Assistant while you are training.

[Circuscats]

There isn't much support work around. Technically my current job is carer/support worker but about 95% of the clients we have are elderly. There are a couple of children on the books and younger people who are adults but have suffered a stroke or similar.

It is difficult because as identified I want to retrain but actually earning money whilst retraining seems to be nigh on impossible!

[Adnerb95]

Bit left-field, but are you fairly numerate, organised and like helping people?

If so, believe it or not, working as a financial adviser could suit you. It's a people job, contrary to public perception, and can be very rewarding, both personally and financially. You can train and study within an existing financial services company - try Independent Financial advisers in your area. A lot of them are crying out for female advisers and happy to take on trainees!
You should expect at least £9 per hour and it would normally be office hours.

[toptoe]

What about this: nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/familysupportworker.aspx

[Adnerb95]

Ah, sorry OP - just saw your comment re lodgers!