Office job to healthcare pros and cons

[UnbearableLoss]

Landed a job moving from 9-5 office supervisor to a care assistant. I've wanted this for a long time but now it's happening I feel really worried.

My current job is really flexible but I think I took on more responsibility and hours than I have the headspace for right now. I've said it's 9-5 but I'm slightly less than full time so can do school pick ups twice a week. We're running on a skeleton staff (this won't change for at least 6 months) and I'm constantly working extra hours to try and alleviate the pressure on my team and I know this will get worse over the next 6 months. I do get most of these hours back, but always feel I need to do more and struggle to find appropriate times to take time off. But the money is decent. I have no degree and I could be on £30k within a couple of years.

The healthcare job pays a lot less in terms of salary. A 10k drop at FTE but I'm also taking a reduction in hours. I would work two 12 hour shifts instead of 5 days but would barely see my children in those 2 days. I'm still researching my commute as the bus won't run very early/late and having not worked Christmas ever, I feel worried I'm going to land a Christmas day shift and feel so horribly guilty that I picked a job over my children. But I think it's a job I would be good at, Im ambitious and think I could progress to a higher grade eventually, would be more available across the other 4 days and my children would see me doing a rewarding job that I enjoy rather an incredibly boring one they know I hate (but helps to fund their many extracurricular activities!)

Any words of wisdom from anyone reading?

The 2 x 12hr days sound much better hours wise around a young family. How old are your children?

Is the care work in a care home or hospital? I imagine there's more opportunity to progress in a hospital.

I retrained from an office job to healthcare with young children. Healthcare was a lot more demanding. However if you can find a way to train in healthcare around family life, look at allied health professional careers and apprenticeships as they're sometimes more family friendly. In the long term, it'll be really rewarding.

Depends on a few factors. Is it nhs hospital based. Or care home, home care?
Nhs the 12 hours will be very busy and never off your feet. So compared to an office job its more physical. But depending on the role u will then have 5 days off to focus on the kids.
Care home is very hard and there is often not the support there and usually there is ways a staff shortage so you will definitely be expected to work a lot more than your shifts.

You could train to be a HCA at a GP practice. That would be shorter days and you wouldn't ever have to work Christmas.

It's actually 2 x 13 hours as I assume there is a lunch break factored in. Plus the commute it'll mean being out the house for 14 hours so barely seeing my youngest if at all. But then I would be there the other 5 days!

It's in hospital so I'm anticipating a big culture shock which is part of my reason for reducing hours too. I know it'll be exhausting in the beginning while I adjust. But while this job wouldn't be forever and I could progress to better money, closer to home or better hours in time, I honestly feel if I don't make this jump now I never will and could always have regrets

But then people think I'm daft to give up a good job on good money, no weekends and can still collect children twice a week. It isnt stress free like people assume.

Is there any clear progression pathway your going for? What's your end goal? You need to know what you want and how u get there.

Don't underestimate the toll of a 13hr day, you won't feel up to much the day after. But I would have chosen the same kind of hours with primary age children. I was often not back for bedtime 1/2 x a week but more present the rest of the week.

At this point I think I want to go to mental health so either as a higher band HCA or ideally, an occupational therapy assistant. But that's my current goal looking in from the outside. I'd happily go for positions like nursing associate but I know they're gold dust.

I can imagine it's quite the slog. Did you have a partner @BoneyEmm and were they supportive or not?

I would be asking my DP to step up a fair bit here. He already does a lot so it would have to be with his blessing too

If your not trained I can’t see how you will earn close to the £30000 that you think you’ll earn in your current job within a few year. Have a look at the band pay scales although if your working weekends then you’ll get a bit extra. I used to work 14.5 hour shifts with 40 minute commute both ways. I’d do 2 and a shorter shift per week . TBH I was absolutely fucked doing it and wasn’t at all present for my dc on my first two days off. I managed 6 months before going back to day shifts.
my Dc still talk about the time the didn’t see me because I wasn’t there in the morning or bedtime, hasn’t harmed them though.
What band is the job

It's band 2 and I'm doing some big roundings here. My current full time salary is around £28k but I do about 33 hours so I'm actually on £25k and then if I could get to band 3/4 level and do extra hours it would bring me up on par. But lots of ifs and buts and the assumption that increasing my hours would work in my homelife.

That's basically the problem though. It's 1.5 hours shorter than what you did but the commute is the same. The older one would possibly be awake for a quick hello if it was a school night but I wouldn't see my younger one at all.

In my desperation to get it to work out I'm thinking that nights would be better as I could be back for drop off and then sleep then collect again. But I realise that's doomed from the beginning really as I'll just be too knackered.

Wish I'd done this before DC 😔

Just to warn you, the nhs is in a constant state of skeletal staffing/ having more work than hours to do it. Also mental health is particularly badly resourced. What is it that you envisage doing in your ideal role? If you describe it then maybe others can offer suggestions to you. Would there be a way of you training along side working?
An alternative would be to maybe work for a mental health related charity. That way you can use the skills you have but for a more rewarding purpose eg you could work for a domestic violence service.

You might find getting onto nights is not so easy unless the post is rotational which a lot are now, so a mixture of early lates or long days/ nights. Night shift is desirable because of the extra pay so people tend to hold o to these posts. I’m unsure if the progression pathway would allow to band 3/4

Yes I think I'm beginning to realise that this isn't the way that I will be able to 'make a difference'. My desire to work in mental health is mainly based around a family members experience with poor mental health. I always felt that he would have benefitted from an OT to help bridge that gap to normal life but I don't even know if this is a job within the NHS as it clearly wasn't available for him.

I'm not against training I just can't afford to be without an income and a part time degree without a job relating to it is just too long with too much uncertainty, and perhaps not even possible if it's a degree that requires placements.

There are lots of jobs as mental health support workers (which is sort of what you are describing) although pay will be you main stumbling block as only £23k outside London. You might also want to consider being a social prescriber. They work attached to GP practices and help people who are vulnerable/ lonely / mental health issues get the support they need. Pay is a bit better.