Looking for home care, or a job in care in Burnley area?
Helping Hands is a national organisation, which now has a branch in Burnley. This gives customers and staff access to a wealth of expertise and quality training but with local knowledge.
Since 1989, the family-run company has specialised in home care and has a network of over 200 branches across England and Wales, providing visiting and live-in care. It offers everything from daily care in the home to support to attend one-off events – they recently accompanied someone to a wedding, supporting them to get there and enjoy the day!
Their aim is to keep people safe and well at home, surrounded by home comforts and relieving any extra worries or anxieties you or your loved ones might have about your care.
Meet the manager
Jeanette Shurmer, branch manager at the Accrington office, has been in care for 28 years- 20 as a manager- both in local hospitals and care homes and is an expert in dementia care.
Jeanette said: “I am really passionate about the Accrington branch of Helping Hands. I love to show up to work every day to see what challenges I am up against.
“I am so passionate about working in care; I will continue to work in care until my retirement because you just can't beat knowing that you are making a difference to people every day! Every single one of our carers and customers are admired, and part of the Helping Hands family.”
Care services offered
Helping hands can offer care to people from 18 to over 100-years-old and with a wide variety of needs such as people with learning difficulties, people recovering from operations or cancer treatments, rehabilitation, dementia, mobility issues.
Jeanette said: “I love the challenge my job brings daily, no two days are the same. Here at Helping Hands, we provide more than just care; we support with every element of your day to day routines so that you can continue to enjoy an independent life at home.”It could be 45 minutes in the morning to help someone get dressed, have breakfast or have a shower, or something longer. With nurses on the staff at Helping Hands on hand to advise they can also help with taking medication and, of course, accompany clients on trips, to hospital or GP appointments or just for a day out – they can even walk the dog!
Building a relationship
Helping hands recruits local people who know the area and it’s local folk. It has excellent relationships with hospitals and GP surgeries in the area and it is committed to ensuring people see the same carer wherever possible so that good relationships are built up and so that clients feel completely comfortable that the person calling in knows them and their situation.
Helping Hands does not use agency staff, but its own recruited and trained carers – and they’re looking for more.
The service is monitored by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which means the care people receive is audited and regulated by the governing body for care, giving that extra bit of reassurance.
Join the team
They are currently looking for new members of staff. Helping Hands has its own academy so when people are employed they will get four weeks of training to qualify them to do home visits, but the academy means they can continue on to further training – staff are always encouraged to learn more and gain promotion.
As well as four weeks full training, the company offers an excellent mileage rate of 35p per mile and if you don’t drive they can provide a bus pass to enable staff to get between appointments in some areas.
To apply you must be over 18 and be a caring person who wants to work in this profession – no formal experience is necessary.
Contact them
If you would like more information on arranging care for you or a loved one, or are interested in becoming a carer, visit the Helping Hands website or call branch manager Jeanette and her team on 01254 865 108.