Expanding homecare company to create 16 new jobs

A homecare provider is expanding and creating 16 new jobs in the Kendal area.

Westmorland Homecare is aiming to recruit 20 new homecare assistants within the next six weeks – 16 of those will be new roles and four will be to fill existing vacancies. The jobs will be a mixture of full- and part-time posts.

“There is an increasing need nationally and locally for care at home” said Kelsey Walmsley, manager of the South Lakes branch of Westmorland Homecare.

“We want to show that a career in care is unlike many others. It’s rewarding in every way and definitely leaves you with that ‘feel good’ factor.”

New homecare assistants will continue to receive free induction training for around seven to ten days and spend a couple of weeks shadowing a more experienced colleague on calls before working on their own. And now the company is offering a £250 starting bonus for all those who complete the training.

Westmorland Homecare provides thousands of hours of care each week to enable elderly and often frail people to live independently in their own home.

Its services include home care, such as help with housekeeping and meal preparation, and personal care, such as help with dressing, bathing and getting in and out of bed.

Kelsey said there was a strong ‘personality focus’ to its recruitment process. “We recruit people based on what their values are as individuals and whether they match our company values.

“The values of Westmorland Homecare are kindness, innovation, trust and enriching people’s lives.

“We have an utmost belief that we can teach people the necessary professional skills required for the job but the ability to care for people is an innate quality that individuals either have or do not have.”

She added that working for Westmorland Homecare was like joining a family. “We have lots of staff who have been with us for an extremely long time because we look after our team and do things such as staff and client social events and even organise discounts for staff at local pubs.

“We have created continuity of care for clients and continuity of working for staff. They go to see the same clients on the same days because we want them to learn their clients’ routines and lifestyles and ultimately become their second family.”

Kelsey said that while care work was rewarding in itself, it could also be a pathway for those who wanted to join the medical profession. One former homecare assistant had gone on to study medicine, some had moved into nursing and one was now a qualified occupational therapist.

Anyone interested in joining Westmorland Homecare can visit the office at 18 Highgate, telephone 01539 725107 or go to the website https://westmorlandhomecare.co.uk/