Personal Choice Carers at Home

After looking after my mum, who had Multiple Sclerosis and after many talks and discussions with Caroline (who at the time had cared for my mum), I decided to move forward to setting up our own care company. I felt that this way, Mum could get the care she needed, deserved and had been unable to receive elsewhere. With Caroline by my side, Personal Choice Carers at Home was born in 2013.
At present, we have a team of 17 lovely carers, which is growing, and we look after some wonderful people.
We have also met and worked with some lovely people over the years, and each one individually has a special place in our hearts. Some of the carers that joined us have moved on to further their careers, and others due to life changes, but we never forget the support they gave us and the joy they brought to the people they helped care for. Each one of them has brought their special qualities to help make the company what it is today.
Every day is different, the passion and love that we have for our work has grown, and we are very proud of our little company. I don’t think we ever expected it to grow as much as it has, but the good thing is that we keep our ethics and morals to what they were at the beginning.
Each Service User has their care plan tailored to suit their needs and requirements. We always want to ensure that we keep the personal touch.
I feel that the families we have met, the service users we visit and of course all of the Carers who have worked alongside us, have all become a part of an extended family.
Mum is no longer with us, but it gives us comfort to know that her Legacy of helping others will always be with us x

I have been working in care now for over 20 years and love the work I do. It isn’t an easy profession at times and can be very hard, but it is extremely rewarding.
I met Liz whilst looking after her mum at a time in my life when I felt that I wanted a little more. After many talks and long discussions, in 2013, Personal Choice Carers at Home was established.

We started, just Liz and I, visiting a couple of service users, but then it seemed that word got around, and we were getting more work; we soon found ourselves employing our own members of staff.

The rest is history, really. All these years later, we have an amazing team of 17, and we all work together to keep everything consistent in all of our calls.

We pride ourselves on our work and make every effort to ensure that all our Service Users are comfortable and happy with our Service. We chose the name Personal Choice because we really make every effort to tailor our services to our service users’ needs.

After many years of working full-time and managing in retail, I had two beautiful boys. I changed from full-time to part-time to try and fit my working life around them.

After listening to a radio show one day, I started to think more and more about changing my Career and going into care. I’d heard on this show that some Carers used to “step over the post” on their way into their Service users' houses because they “didn’t have time” to pick it up and hand it to the lovely people they were looking after!
There were other things mentioned on the show, and I couldn’t believe how a service that was meant to be looking after people and caring, really wasn’t meeting the mark. It played on my mind!!!

One day, in the school playground, I was talking to one of the other mums. She was telling me about her sister-in-law, who had recently started her own care company because the care her mother had been receiving was not as attentive as she felt it could be.

She gave me her sister-in-law's phone number, and I gave her a call!!

The sister-in-law was Liz, and that’s how I met up with her and Caroline!

After talking for a while and explaining I’d never done professional caring, we all decided that we would give each other a go!!

That was THIRTEEN YEARS ago!

I love my job. I love the people I help care for, and I get on well with the rest of the team.

Not only am I fully trained now, but I have also obtained my NVQ 2 certificate and my NVQ 3.

One of the main things I love about my job is knowing that I am making a difference in people's lives at really difficult times in their lives. We are all one big happy family and treat our Service Users in the way that we would all want our parents to be treated. With respect and dignity.

I started working in Care in 2004, where I met Caroline, working for a 'big' care company. Looking for a change, Caroline introduced me to Liz, and I joined Personal Choice Carers at Home.

I loved the way all Service Users' care plans were person-centred, and all looked after so well. I just kept thinking this is how all Service Users should be cared for.

I joined Personal Choice Carers at Home in 2014 and haven't looked back. I thoroughly love my job, and have great friendships with everyone I work with x

I’ve always been in a job and loved working. I’ve tried everything over the years, but never really knew what I wanted to do.

In 2016, I saw a job vacancy for Personal Choice Carers at Home. I applied and was invited along for an interview. I got the job. Soon, all my training was completed, and I was out and about in the community.

It’s great that we care for people in their own homes, and as all of us carers are based in and around Wickford, it’s lovely as there is always someone about if we need any assistance.

I love the fact that we give our service users their independence wherever possible. All their care packages are different so that they suit the individuals’ needs.

I’m always keeping up to date with my training, which helps because it’s always good to have extra knowledge about everyone’s conditions.

I’ve never looked for another job since I’ve worked here.

I have met some lovely people over the years, and it’s been a pleasure getting to know them and their families.

I love hearing their stories about their history and lives.
I’m so happy in my work, and it’s so lovely knowing I help make such a difference in our Service Users’ lives.

After having my second child, I started looking for another job that I could fit around my family life.

That's when I came across Personal Choice Carers. I met Liz and Caroline, who both put me at ease as I had never worked in Care before. I'm still here 9 years later, fully trained. I was able to obtain my Level 2 & 3 Health & Social Care qualification.

Care is the most rewarding job I have ever had, helping someone to live at home as independently as possible x

After working as a hairdresser for 16 years, I left to have my two beautiful children. I spent many happy times with them growing up, and when they had both started at school full-time, I decided, being a very active person, that I needed to do more with myself.

I started to look at jobs and came across an advert on Facebook from a company called Personal Choice Carers at Home, they were looking for Carers in the Community and were based locally in Wickford.

I had a little chat with myself and thought, "Yes, I could do that" It sounded like something I would enjoy. I'm a happy, caring and fun-loving person, and I love to make people happy. I have always been a natural when it comes to helping and understanding someone who may be unhappy or have difficulties, and I have always been told that one of my qualities is that I am able to lift people up when they are down. So... I applied for the job.

On the day of the interview, I was so nervous. Everyone thinks I'm full of confidence because I am often found in the middle of crowds, but deep down, that isn't always the truth.

I went to meet Liz and Caroline, and immediately they made me feel at ease.

I came out of the interview with a big smile on my face. I had been offered the job. Shortly after, I started my training and then, once qualified, I was out doing a job that I've grown to love.

Eight years on and I'm still here. Every day is different and sometimes can be a challenge. But to this day, I'm still happy with my decision. My hours fit perfectly around my kids and my family, and I feel so fulfilled in my work.

I’ve been working at Personal Choice Care at Home since 2022.

After leaving school, I went into hairdressing and enjoyed 28 years working in the same salon. Unfortunately, they ceased trading, and at the same time, my personal circumstances changed. This made me rethink my career options.

My daughter had recently started caring for Personal Choice Care at Home and was coming home from work excited and telling me all about it. It sounded like something I could do. I’m so comfortable working with people and love to help if I can.

I contacted Liz and Caroline, and soon I began my training. Having recently qualified, I am now out working full-time and haven’t looked back.

I love my job and find it so rewarding.

I have worked at Personal Choice Carers since 2022.

After finishing the sixth form, I had no idea of the direction I wanted to go in. I gave it some serious thought, and I knew I wanted to give care a go.

I applied to Personal Choice Carers at Home, and the very next day, I went for an interview.

From the moment I met Liz and Caroline, they made me feel so welcome and at ease. When they told me I had got the job, I was just so excited to get started.

After my training, I started going out on shadowing calls and from the first day, I have enjoyed every minute of it and couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

Everyone has been so welcoming and has helped me so much over the last few months.

I feel so happy with the job I am doing, and I come home every day from work feeling so satisfied that I am able to make a difference. It is the most rewarding job, and I am grateful I have been given this opportunity to meet so many amazing people. I treat every service user like I would wish my family to be treated because everyone deserves respect, care and patience.

I’m now really looking forward to my future within the care sector, and it's all thanks to Liz and Caroline.

Amy comes from a background where she trained and qualified as a Makeup Artist and Beautician but has now joined us in helping our lovely Service Users.

I first got to know Personal Choice Carers when they started looking after my mum, who was living with Dementia. From the very beginning, the care team felt like they were family. They were kind, patient, and always went the extra mile to make sure my mum was comfortable and happy.

Their support made such a big difference to our lives that I decided I wanted to be part of that same caring team.

I've now been working with Personal Choice for about six months, and it's been such a rewarding experience. Everyone on the team is thoroughly trained and truly dedicated to the people we care for.

I'm learning more every day, from both my colleagues and the amazing Service Users we support. It means a lot to be able to give back to help others to feel safe, supported, and valued just like they did for my mum x

I first met Liz and Caroline when they started their business. They looked after my Gramps as their first service user. I was so impressed by the way they went above and beyond with their level of care and compassion, I have never forgotten it!

I decided this year that I would like to be a carer and rang up Liz.
She offered me a chance to join the 'personal choice carers at home' family, and I am really enjoying the experience!

These ladies really do care, and I can't recommend them highly enough.