Here at Old Friends Care we believe in supporting all of our Staff to progress and flourish in their Care Career as this is the best way to ensure satisfaction and deliver the highest standard of care to all.
Step 1: Joining old Friends Care
At Old Friends Care, every Carer is directly recruited, employed and trained by us. Upon joining Old Friends Care, you will receive intensive Induction Training to introduce you to the key areas of Care and enable you to complete the recognised award of the Care Certificate.
Once you have successfully passed the End of Induction Exam and all of the relevant training modules, you will then Shadow some of our Experienced Carers in the Community and watch how we deliver care. Once you feel confident enough and you have had an appropriate amount of shadowing, you will then be placed on a Probation Period for three months and start working as a Carer.
You will receive support throughout your probation period from our Community Mentor and you will work through a Development Passport, once this is completed and your probationary period ends you will be passed and given your new Uniform.
Step 2: Developing Yourself
Once you have completed your Induction Training, you will be signed up for our Online Training Platform. This is hosted by the Care Skills Academy and is accessible by all of our Care Staff so that they develop their knowledge and career.
There are hundreds of courses for you to complete, you are able to access this to cover training areas that you are unsure about and also to begin gaining knowledge in specialist areas, such as Dementia, Sepsis and more!
Whilst working as a Carer, you will be regularly invited into our Training Room to complete refresher courses, practical training and Interactive Training Days with our Training Officer. These are designed to develop your skills and further excel your knowledge in areas of Health & Social Care.
You will also have the opportunity to complete your NVQ’s in Health & Social Care which are fully funded by Old Friends Care, once you complete certain levels of your NVQ’s you are eligible for a pay raise as a Qualified Carer
Step 3: Your Future Career
The experience you gain whilst working as an Old Friends Care Carer will be extensive, you will have experience of caring for a diverse range of individuals who all have different needs and varying conditions. You have the opportunity to work with individuals who have Dementia, Learning Difficulties, Diabetes, Eating Disorders, Poor Mobility and individuals who are End of Life.
This will give you an array of skills and knowledge that you may never have had the opportunity to be exposed to. With experience in domiciliary care, our excellent training programme, our career development opportunities and the option to complete you NVQ’s in Health and Social Care you will have an amazing list of potential future career paths that you could take.
We have had Carers who have stayed with us for decades and decided to develop themselves as a Home Support Worker with us. We have also had Carers spend many years with us to perfect their skills before moving on to join the Emergency Services, NHS, Mental Health Teams or become Support Workers, Social Workers, Midwives, Paramedics, District Nurses and more
Start your Old Friends Care journey here
Support for our Staff
At Old Friends Care, we are passionate about supporting our Staff, encouraging professional development and maintaining staff welfare. We have programmes, procedures and plans in place that aim to ensure our staff are performing at their best and are happy at work. We know how difficult a career in care can be, it is not an easy role and it can sometimes be extremely challenging. That is why we want to take all the necessary steps to ensure our staff are enjoying their role and are able to deal with any challenges they may face in the community.
Firstly, when you complete your Induction Training with us you will be introduced to your Community Mentor. Our Mentor is here to support all of our new staff and they will regularly meet with you to discuss your progress and if you have any concerns. Your mentor is your first point of contact and they are able to recommend you for additional training or support if you feel that you would benefit from this. Your mentor will work through your Development Passport with you to ensure you are making progress and you are confident in every single aspect of delivering care.
Our Out of Hours Support Team are available every evening and every weekend to ensure that you are always able to access support even when the office is closed. You can contact our team 365 days a year from 7am to 10pm, including Bank Holidays and Christmas Day. This means there is always someone for you to turn to who is able to answer any of our queries, resolve any issues and reassure you.
At Old Friends Care, we have a Staff Welfare Programme to provide our Staff who may have additional stresses, mental health concerns or may be dealing with difficult circumstances, such as bereavement or divorce. This is a 10-week programme where we can meet with you on a one-to-one basis for informal chats about your situations and ways in which we can support you through any hardship or difficult times to ensure that work is a safe and relaxing place for you.
Online Training
Old Friends Care use an online training platform via the Care Skills Academy to help support staff and provide Carers with the opportunity to continue refreshing their knowledge regarding various areas of Health and Social Care.
Our Care Skills Academy platform is simple to use and easily accessible from home. You can complete the training modules at your own pace in your spare time, you can also book an appointment to come into the Office and use one of our Computers in the Carer’s room to complete your training if you feel you would benefit from this.
The academy offers over 60 CPD accredited courses and an online version of the Care Certificate. These are well-respected and widely recognised qualifications that you can transfer to your future Career path and include on your CV.
Over 3000 Care Providers use this platform and we are happy to book you in for an Introductory Session so that we can show you how to use the platform and support you in getting started accessing your courses. This is a platform that you should make the most of, it is an excellent opportunity to boost your confidence in areas you struggle with or gain knowledge about topics you are interested in.