Ideal Carehomes Launch Recruitment Month alongside a Wellbeing Pathway to Support Heroic Staff

Ideal Carehomes is midway through their Recruitment Month where they are spreading the word that social care is the place to work for a rewarding and successful career. Using the tag line, ‘you come for a job and end up with a career’, the company are promoting the benefits of working in a care environment to draw new workers to the sector, as well as those who are keen to progress through the ranks.

After successfully launching the Ideal Academy training pathways prior to the pandemic, Head of Development and Engagement, Sarah Colling, is keen to attract more people to work in social care. She said, “We are running the Recruitment Month in an attempt to dispel the myths of working in a care home and show people who are new to care that there can be a very clear career pathway as well as great job satisfaction and benefits. We have so many people who have moved up from Care Assistant all the way through to Home Manager after successful training via our Ideal Academy, and as a growing company opening more care homes, there are always plenty of opportunities for career growth.”

After reports suggesting that many social care workers have considered quitting over the last year, as well as suffering from the aftereffects of working on the frontline during a pandemic, Sarah knows that supporting her current staff team is the first priority. She has created a ‘Wellbeing Pathway’ which is available to all members of the team and consists of a 24 hour counselling support line, face to face stress management training, regular mindfulness techniques and advice on nutrition, exercise and ways to reduce stress and improve overall health and wellbeing.

Sarah, who is a finalist at the Yorkshire Great British Care Awards in the Workforce Development category, said, “Being on the frontline through the pandemic has been nothing less than heroic, but our heroes, like many, have suffered with effects on their mental health and wellbeing as a result. To support our teams, we have launched the Wellbeing Pathway through the Ideal Academy to offer them guidance on where to seek help alongside tips and techniques to improve their mental health and boost morale.

Our teams have been amazing over the last 18 months looking after our residents and keeping them safe, but in order to look after others, they need to make sure they are looking after themselves, and that’s where the Wellbeing Pathway comes in.”

Ideal Carehomes employs over 1200 members of staff and their recruitment month runs throughout the whole of July. Each day care team members are sharing information about working in care, training, available opportunities and their personal experiences within care on social media.

Ideal Carehomes currently operates 25 homes throughout Yorkshire, the Midlands and the North West and is due to open further homes over the next few years. The company is a finalist at the Great British Care Awards Care Employer Award of the Year and is hosting its own Ideal Care Awards to recognise and reward team members who regularly go above and beyond.

For more information about working with Ideal Carehomes, visit www.idealcarehomes.co.uk/careers