Tiffany began working at Helping Hands in 2012, starting out as an Hourly Carer and conducting domiciliary calls in the local community. The role appealed to Tiffany, who had been interested in the healthcare sector since school and sought a position with the right degree of flexibility.
“I was initially drawn to the role because the flexible working hours allowed me to fit in hourly care around my other commitments, but then I was hooked!” says Tiffany.
“Helping Hands has great opportunities for career progression,” explains Tiffany. “When a position within the Helping Hands Training Team arose, I saw it as the perfect opportunity to utilise all of my skills.” Working as a Training Officer, Tiffany and her team host a rigorous assessment and training week at Helping Hands’ Centre of Excellence, based in Alcester.
Tiffany comments, “I am responsible for delivering induction training to new recruits, supporting them throughout their course and assessing their suitability for the role to ensure that we are welcoming the best possible Carers to our team.
“I am also involved in our Dementia care services and enjoy supporting and delivering the fantastic Dementia Family Days that we host across the UK. Both roles are incredibly rewarding and give me tremendous job satisfaction. I feel so privileged to have a job that I love doing every day!”
Tiffany, alongside Jayne Vale, Helping Hands Dementia Specialist, and a team of Care Advisors, is involved in hosting the Dementia Family Days that Helping Hands provides at various UK locations. The aim of the days is to give practical tips and advice to families and make them aware of the care services available to them.
Tiffany’s experiences of Dementia care when working as an Hourly Carer sparked her interest in the condition and her desire to learn more. Dementia is one of the many topics covered during the Helping Hands induction training and is led by both Tiffany and Jayne Vale each week.
“Working as an Hourly Carer, I supported a 92 year old lady living with Vascular Dementia. I cared for her as her condition progressed, as she suffered a series of mini strokes. I supported both the customer and her family with various behavioural changes right through to end of life care. This intense involvement gave me a real insight into what it is like for people living with Dementia, which compelled me to learn more,” explains Tiffany.
With the purpose of improving the quality of Dementia training provided to Live-in and Hourly Carers each week and the care provided to Helping Hands’ customers in England and Wales, Tiffany attended the three month period course.
The course covered various topics, including neurological impairment and cognitive capacity, social psychology, journey with Dementia, roles and responsibilities, and facilitation of skills. Tiffany says, “I feel the intense training has improved my knowledge of Dementia and therefore improved the training that I can deliver and share with others to support Carers in their work.”
Tiffany will continue to deliver induction training and host Dementia Family Days as part of Helping Hands’ wider Dementia Care Team. Helping Hands celebrates Tiffany’s achievement and the step forward it marks for improving the quality of Dementia care at home.
To read about the different types of dementia, please click here.
For more information about Dementia Care services from Helping Hands, please contact 0808 180 9002.
