Returning to Work After Children: Anila's Home Care Story

When Anila was ready to return to work after having her children, she knew one thing clearly. Whatever she went back to, it had to work differently from before.

She had spent over twelve years in care, most recently in a care home in Watford, and she loved the work. But the shift patterns that came with residential care had made it impossible to manage alongside family life, so she stepped away. When her children were older and she felt ready to go back, she wasn't looking for a change of direction so much as a better way of doing the work she'd always wanted to do.

She found it at Home Instead Watford.

What drew her in was the way the role was built. Visits run for a minimum of an hour, and care professionals regularly see the same clients at the same times each week. For Anila, who had seen what care looked like when it was done in a hurry, that mattered enormously.

"What really stood out to me was that it wasn't about rushing through care visits and moving on. It was about actually getting to know the people you're caring for, seeing them regularly, building something real with them. I knew straight away that this was somewhere I could do the job properly."

She currently works weekends only, around six to seven hours across Saturday and Sunday, with the option to move into weekday shifts around the school day when the time is right for her family. It's a flexibility she says is genuine rather than just promised.

"The flexibility here is real. It's not something they just say, it actually works the way they describe it. As the children get older, I know I can increase my hours in a way that still fits around them."

Like many mums returning to work, Anila had worried that time away had left her behind. What she discovered was the opposite. "Being a mum had made me so much more patient, so much more tuned in to what people need. Those years at home hadn't set me back at all. If anything, I think they made me better at this."

Home Instead Watford is currently recruiting Care Professionals across Watford, Bushey, Rickmansworth and the surrounding areas. No previous care experience is required, with full training provided from day one. Pay starts from £14.50 to £16.50 per hour, with travel time and mileage paid between visits.

To find out more, call 01923 250513 or visit homeinstead.co.uk/watford.

click here for more details or to contact Home Instead (Watford)