Here at Helping Hands HQ, we’re all about appreciating our employees and the superb work they do, day in and day out. Not to be cliché, but we believe that every day should be National Employee Appreciation Day! All the same, March 7th is swiftly approaching and with it, a day set aside just to appreciate our employees. We thought we’d share a few stories of our wonderful employees, from our carers to our Branch Managers.
At our Helping Hands Warwickshire branch, we’ve heard from one of our dedicated carers, Susan Percival, who wants to highlight the great work her colleagues are doing to help our customers live life to the fullest in the homes they love. Susan wanted to express her gratitude in particular to Ashley Watts, Claire Cox, and Dawn Wooton for the extra mile they put into their roles every day.
Ashley, our new Branch Care Manager at our Stratford branch, puts 110% effort into ensuring his team’s safety. We all know how changeable the British weather can be, and Ashley makes sure to send regular messages to remind the carers to take care when travelling on the roads in bad weather. While this may be a small act of kindness, it goes a long way. Ashley also is known to always offer a compassionate ear to his colleagues and provide much-needed emotional support on their bad days!
Claire and Dawn work tirelessly behind the scenes too, always ready with a quick response to any call or email, ensuring the carers feel valued and supported at all times. Susan shared that ‘Ashley, Claire, and Dawn go that extra mile to help us look after our clients. They are always there when we need them. I’d like to say a big ‘thank you’ to them.’ A huge well done to Ashley, Claire, and Dawn for embodying the spirit of teamwork and care that we love here at Helping Hands. We appreciate you!
Another employee we appreciate at Helping Hands is the wonderful Louise from the Lutterworth branch! She won our ‘Moments of Kindness’ award recently and we can see why.
Louise is said to regularly go above and beyond to support her customers. Recently, Louise accompanied one of our customers to the theatre which was one of their big passions, and made our customer’s life that much brighter by doing so. She also accompanies our customers to their appointments and helps to make every Christmas extra special by fulfilling a heartfelt request to be there on the day. Clearly, Louise is a cherished and appreciated part of her customers’ families if she has a seat at the family Christmas table! If that’s not enough, Louise also recently helped a customer celebrate their 100th birthday with a thoughtful card that she bought of her own accord. Though new to adult social care, Louise’s compassion and commitment shine through every day. Thank you, Louise!
If one of your colleagues springs to mind to be the perfect candidate for the award, visit our Moments of Kindness page.
Our Warrington branch is the happy home of one of our excellent Care and Training Practitioners (CTPs), Diane Wood!
A quote from Diana:
I started my journey with Helping Hands in April 2020, right at the start of the Covid pandemic. I had never worked in care before, but I took the leap and applied for a role as a carer. From the moment I began, I knew this was the job for me. In February 2022, an email went out to all carers, inviting anyone interested to spend a day in the branch answering phones and getting a feel for office life. I jumped at the opportunity and was lucky enough to be chosen. From that point on, I worked in the office every Monday, handling calls and taking notes.
Then, in August 2022, a full-time Care &Training Practitioner (CTP) position became available. Along with two other candidates, I applied, and in September I received the call to say I had been successful. I enjoy the compliance aspect of the role, checking in with customers to ensure they are happy with the care they’re receiving, carrying out care reviews with families, and making any necessary updates to care plans. I love running RAD days, introducing potential new carers to the role and showing them what a difference they can make.
For anyone considering a CTP role, my advice would be to have patience, there’s a lot to learn. Outside of work, my favourite thing is catching up with my two grown-up daughters, who live in North Wales. To be a great CTP, I believe you need strong communication skills, a good understanding of the carer’s role, and knowledge of moving and handling as well as medication. Most importantly, you need to be able to work as part of a team, because when we support each other, we make the biggest difference.
We appreciate Diane and the great work she’s doing at Helping Hands!
Are you looking for a role where helping people is at the core of what you do? Want to make a big difference in someone’s life and show compassion and kindness on a daily basis? If so, Helping Hands could be the right home for you to begin your carer journey. Apply to be a carer, and you’ll be supported, trained, and most importantly, appreciated, every day of your career.
Happy National Employee Appreciation Day from all of us at Helping Hands HQ!
Check out our Glassdoor and Trustpilot reviews:
- “The company fosters an incredibly inclusive and uplifting atmosphere! They truly value fairness and ensure that every employee feels welcomed and appreciated. It’s a supportive environment where everyone is embraced for who they are, creating a vibrant community that thrives on teamwork and positivity!” – Visiting Carer in Cambridge, Feb 2025.
- “Helping Hands is a fantastic company to work for, everyone is so welcoming and supportive. Also, having flexibility has enabled me to have a good work-life balance which Helping Hands are fully supportive of. Being a carer and making a difference in each customer’s life is the best job in the world.” – Visiting Carer in Lincoln, Feb 2025
- “Helping Hands is a bright light within the home care sector. Helping Hands is a well-run, professional company” – Colin B, Visiting Carer, Bristol, Jan 2025.
