Home Instead (Southampton)

Mike & Greg (father and son) joined the Home Instead Southampton community in late 2019 and we look forward to continuing the 10-year legacy that has been created by the founding owners Luisa and Graeme.

I was one of the first CAREGivers to join the Southampton office in July 2010. I was looking for a part-time job to enable me to integrate back into employment after spending the last ten years raising my three children. I had busied myself within the community as a Parish Councillor and I was also Editor of the local quarterly publication. CAREGiving sounded like the perfect job. I loved visiting the clients I was matched to and I became very attached to them.

The opportunity arose to apply for a full-time position in the office in May 2011. I have partaken in all the office roles over the years as we have grown and even qualified as a trainer along the way. I have worked with some talented people here at Home Instead and learnt so much from them – I am grateful to them all.

My passion is taking all the care enquiries, I listen and empathise with the situation because I totally understand how complex it can be sometimes, reaching a decision about what to do next to allow a loved one to stay safe and happy at home. I cannot describe how amazing it is to meet up after speaking on the phone and offering reassurance whilst knowing in my heart we do what we say we do.

We had a vacancy here for my current position and I was asked by Mike and Greg, our owners, to consider the role. The rest of the team encouraged me to take it and as I had such support I accepted – thank you, team! I am happy I did because I now have more opportunities to grow the business so we can help even more people to stay living well in their own homes.

I would urge anyone to become a CAREGiver if they have any spare time on their hands because I cannot describe the incredible feeling that making a difference gives you. Our training is bespoke and fantastic and looks at the opportunities it has given me!

I feel passionate about the Home Instead ethos and I know that matching CAREGivers to Clients in the ‘Home Instead Way’ is still unique. It is what drew me to work for Home Instead and continues to do so every year that passes!

I joined Home Instead in April 2013 and am responsible for CAREGiver recruitment.

I have over 30 years of experience in recruitment and obtained my qualifications with the REC of which I am a Fellow. I also have an NVQ 4 in Management and a Certificate in Personnel Practice.

Before joining Home Instead I worked for 11 years within the Health and Social Care sector as a Registered Manager. During this time I also managed a Specialist Nurses Division, recruiting Theatre Nurses, Prison Nurses, Mental Health Nurses, Occupational Health Nurses and Learning Disability Nurses.

My experiences working within the healthcare sector have definitely been the most fulfilling. I am passionate about helping older people retain their independence and dignity and remain safely in their own homes. Selecting the right people to join our family of CAREGivers keeps me extremely busy but it is always interesting meeting new people and offering them the opportunity to join us and make a real difference to older people. I watch them grow in confidence and hear about the relationships they have with our clients and it makes me really proud of my role, connecting people and making them feel good.

I also help out at the memory cafe we run every second and fourth Wednesday of the month. This makes a change to being in the office but also gives me a chance to meet people who are coping with dementia and I try to brighten up their day if I can.

I get to meet and greet everyone who comes to our lovely office, so there is really never a dull moment in my working day. I share Home Instead's values and ethos and I know being part of the team, we all work hard to make all the difference we can.

I started my career in childcare, where has looked after and babysat my younger family members, which was a natural fit for my caring and compassionate nature. After a few years in the retail industry, I decided that I really missed the caring industry and was fortunate enough to join Home Instead in 2012. Having never worked in elderly care before this was an exciting step for me.

Over the past 6 years as a CAREgiver at Home Instead, I've loved supporting my clients! My clients have had a range of needs from living with Dementia & Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Palliative Care to companionship visits where I've accompanied them to appointments and shopping trips.

Helping clients to live as independently as possible within their own homes is so important to me and it's very rewarding knowing that you've made a difference in their lives and helped to enable this.

In my role as a Field Care Manager, I am excited to be able to look after our existing clients and also to meet and welcome our new clients to our lovely Home Instead family!