It arrived! Truck load of aid from Corinium Care reaches Zimbabwe

We did it! The truck load of equipment collected by Corinium Care arrived safely in Zimbabwe and was welcomed with open arms.

Staff and residents of the Edith Duly Nursing Home in Bulawayo were overwhelmed by the shipment from Gloucestershire.

It included walking frames, wheelchairs, walking sticks and hearing aids which are like gold dust in the strife-torn country.

“It was as if Christmas had arrived on their doorstep,” said Corinium Care Managing Director Camilla Miles who flew out to visit the nursing home in November.

“Because we’d asked everyone to support us, I wanted to see with my own eyes what was happening to everything you all donated.

“There is no doubt that absolultely nothing will be wasted. The staff are the most magnificent people who do amazing work in very trying circumstances.

“They have to grow their own vegetables because they can’t get them in the shops, the water supply and electricity supplies are intermittent, the medicine cupboard is pretty bare, and the cooker had to be seen to be believed.

“The elderly people being cared for have lost everything.”

The company decided to adopt the charity Homes in Zimbabwe in 2010 because many of our live-in carers come from the African country. Being a carer in the UK offers an income and a safe haven.

“The stories they tell us about life in Zimbabwe made us realise that there is a real need, and we wanted to give something back,” said Camilla.

That was the cue for the start of a year of fundraising. Corinium staff have pumped iron at the gym, pedalled miles through the Cotswolds, baked delicious cakes and, with the support of carers and clients, have now sent a truck load of equipment to Zimbabwe.

Together our staff, clients and carers have raised a staggering £6,000 for HIZ. Thankyou so much!

“It’s been an amazing year and we’re very grateful that everyone has responded so generously,” said Camilla.

Homes In Zimbabwe provides food and medicine to the elderly who are in desperate need because of the collapse of the economy.

It is the largest supplier of food to pensioners in Zimbabwe. It supports a soup kitchen and a mobile clinic taking vital medicines to those who need them.

Anyone who wants to support HIZ can do so at www.justgiving.com/Coriniumcare

Triple accolade at Great South West Care Awards

Triple accolade at Great South West Care Awards

Corinium Care staff received a triple accolade in the Great South West Care Awards.

The company was shortlisted in two categories: the Care Employer and Care Team Awards. In addition, Corinium’s Director of Care Services Clare Janik was a finalist for the Care Trainer Award.

The scheme is a celebration of excellence which aims to promote best practice and pay tribute to outstanding standards, enterprise and dedication.

Corinium Care was up against professionals from all areas of the care sector in the South West, including residential homes, the NHS and big business.

MD Camilla Miles said: “We were thrilled to receive such praise for the team as a whole.

“Caring is at the heart of all we do. We recognise that what our clients want most is dignity, compassion and understanding at the most vulnerable time of their lives. And we make it our mission to ensure that they find it in both our head office staff and our live-in carers.”

The business she founded in 1995 provides 24-hour care for frail and elderly people in their own homes. It has 17 staff at its head office in George Street and 800 registered carers worldwide. This year it won the title Business in the Year in the Gloucestershire Media Women in Business Awards.

The company’s longest serving employee, Director of Operations Amanda Butler, said team work was central to success. “It’s essential that everyone knows their role, but we also help each other at every turn, whether it’s opening the post or taking a vital call,” she said.

Director of Care Services Clare Janik has played a huge role in ensuring that the training Corinium offers is first class. Unlike most of its competitors, the company runs a free training course every month for about 16 new carers, most of whom come from abroad and have little experience.

“Many say the course is an inspiration and has changed their lives,” said Clare.

The South West Care Awards ceremony was held in Bristol.

Corinium Care launches first recruitment seminar in Zimbabwe

Corinium Care is staging its first recruitment seminar in Zimbabwe on October 14th.

Managing Director Camilla Miles will head up the event in Bulawayo, seeking live-in carers for the company’s elderly and disabled clients in the UK.

She will also host a thankyou lunch for more than 50 Zimbabwean carers who have worked for Corinium Care in the last ten years, providing 24-hour care for people in their own homes.

“It seemed the perfect opportunity to thank the carers who have put in so much work for us in the past,” she said.

The company, based in Gloucestershire, is one of the leading care agencies in Britain. It has 17 staff and more than 800 registered carers from Britain and abroad. It has recruitment offices in South Africa, Zimbabwe and New Zealand. This year it won the title Business of the Year.

The aim of the seminar is to explain to potential carers what the role of a live-in carer involves. Women who have worked for Corinium Care in the past will be there to answer questions. Many are aged 45-60 whose children have left home and who want to travel or visit relatives in Britain.

“Zimbabwe is for us a great opportunity for us,” said Camilla. “The people are hard-working with the right life skills behind them. For many it’s a new start, and a new lease of life. Being a live-in carer in the UK also offers a reliable source of income.”

Corinium Care began taking live-in carers from Zimbabwe ten years ago when news about the company spread by word of mouth. A recruitment office was set up in Harare in 2005 and is run by the company’s agent in Zimbabwe Jenny Osbourne who will be present at the October seminar.

“Our seminars offer a real chance to promote the benefits of live-in care to a new audience, and to offer opportunities to people who might not necessarily have considered a career in care work abroad,” said Camilla.

All who attend the seminar in Bulawayo must have eligibility to work in the UK. All registered carers take part in Corinium Care’s free, award-winning, five-day training programme in the UK which includes personal care, dementia care, recognising signs of abuse, and moving and handling.

Last year the company adopted the charity Homes in Zimbabwe which provides food for pensioners.

For more info about the seminar, contact jenny@corinium.co.zw, +263 4 850271

corinium.co.zw

UK company Corinium Care launches recruitment drive in South Africa

UK company Corinium Care is staging a series of recruitment seminars in South Africa in October.

Managing Director Camilla Miles will head up the events in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Pietermaritzburg and Durban from October 5-12, seeking live-in carers for the company’s elderly and disabled clients in the UK.

The dates of the seminars are: Capetown, October 5 and 6; Port Elizabeth, October 8; Pietermaritzburg, October 10; Durban, October 11; and Kloof, October 12.

The award-winning company is one of the leading care agencies in Britain. It has 17 staff and more than 800 registered carers from Britain and abroad providing 24-hour care for people in their own homes. It has recruitment offices in South Africa, Zimbabwe and New Zealand.

The aim of the seminars in South Africa is to explain to potential carers what the role of a live-in carer involves.

Some women who have worked for Corinium Care in the UK in the past will be there to answer questions. Many are aged 45-60 whose children have left home and who want to travel or visit relatives in Britain.

“The people we see in South Africa are hard-working with the right life skills behind them. For many it’s a new start, and a new lease of life,” said Camilla. “Being a live-in carer in the UK also offers a reliable source of income.”

All who attend the seminars must have eligibility to work in the UK.

Alongside Camilla at the events will be the company’s agent in South Africa, Lindy Wareing, who was a carer for Corinium in 2003 and later joined the office staff in the UK.

“I know how it feels to travel half way across the world and face a whole new experience so I can tell potential carers what the job is like,” said Lindy.

Corinium’s carers from South Africa usually spend three to six months in the UK. All registered carers take part in Corinium Care’s award-winning, one-week training programme in the UK which includes personal care, dementia care, recognising signs of abuse, and moving and handling.

“Our business has quadrupled in the past ten years and our search for suitable carers has been relentless,” said Camilla, who founded Corinium Care in 1995.

“The reason for that growth is linked to the growth of the elderly population in the UK. At the same time, more people are choosing to remain in their own homes with a live-in carer.”

For more information, contact Lindy Wareing on 046 675 1994 or email mail@coriniumcare.co.za

www.coriniumcare.co.za

Carer Viorica flies high for Pippa and therapy centre

It was a high-flying double act when Pippa Roberts and her Corinium live-in carer Viorica Boitor raised almost £4,000 with a charity parachute jump.

Viorica did the 15,000ft tandem jump, whilst Pippa badgered friends and relatives for sponsorship.

Their aim: to support the Wessex Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre in Warminster where Pippa receives regular therapy.

Pippa, 65, from Downton, near Salisbury has suffered from primary progressive multiple sclerosis for 30 years.

"I go to the therapy centre every week - it's essential in helping me to keep mobile and able to function in my home environment. As the NHS cannot support this kind of service on a regular basis, the weekly physiotherapy is extremely important. Helping to raise some money was an opportunity to do my bit for the centre," she said.

"I’m proud that we made £3,800. I’ve been busy on the telephone, writing to people, going up and down the street knocking on doors and badgering friends and relations."

Viorica, 40, a carer with Corinium Care since 2008, was born in Romania and has been with Pippa for more than two years.

"The MS centre is really important for people like Pippa whose ability to walk changes from one day to another. This jump was a small contribution I could make to help ensure it survives, and it was an enjoyable project that Pippa and I could do together."

The jump took place in Devon. "The first minute was in freefall which was quite frightening. But as soon as the parachute opened it was an absolutely unforgettable experience," said Viorica.

The Managing Director of Corinium Care, Camilla Miles, who sponsored Viorica, said: “Viorica is an excellent carer and her willingness to go the extra 15,000 ft to support Pippa is admirable."

Anyone who wants to add to the fundraising total can send a cheque, payable to the Wessex MS Therapy Centre, to Mrs Roberts at Minton Cottage, 20 The Borough, Downton SP5 3ND.

Our Truck is on its Way to Help Elderly People in Zimbabwe

Three walking sticks, five wheelchairs, 14 walking frames, and a host of other equipment are on the way to help elderly people in Africa, thanks to Corinium Care.

The live-in care agency has adopted the charity Homes in Zimbabwe which provides food and medicine to the elderly in the strife-torn country.

They appealed to their clients and carers to donate equipment they no longer needed and soon filled a container from floor to ceiling.

“Our clients and carers were brilliant and we’d like to thank them for their generosity,” said Managing Director of Corinium Care, Camilla Miles.

Her staff asked for anything from Zimmer frames and beds to bandages and spectacles.

“We didn’t think we’d fill a truck so quickly but soon after we’d sent out an appeal, we were overwhelmed with all sorts of things,” added Camilla. “The response was amazing.”

Corinium Care adopted HIZ after Camilla met the charity’s front man in Gloucestershire, Sean Kelly, 55, who was born in Zimbabwe and left shortly after Robert Mugabe came to power.

He was in Nailsworth to collect the equipment and get it shipped to Africa.

“This is great,” he said. “The situation in Zimbabwe is desperate and we need all the help we can get. We’re really grateful that Corinium Care is able to support us.”

Camilla added: “A lot of our carers come from Zimbabwe so this struck a chord with the whole company.”

“They have told us how desperate it is for pensioners who find themselves destitute, and we decided to give something back.”

Corinium Care, based in George Street, specialises in providing 24-hour live-in care for the elderly and infirm. It has 800 registered carers on its books. It has recruitment offices in New Zealand, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Anyone who wants to support HIZ can do so at www.justgiving.com/Coriniumcare

Corinium Care Wins Business of the Year Award

WE are delighted to announce that Corinium Care has won the title of Business of the Year.

The live-in care agency came away with the top prize in the Gloucestershire Media Women in Business Awards at a glittering ceremony at Cheltenham Racecourse, attended by 250 people.

“It’s a marvellous accolade,” said Managing Director Camilla Miles. “We’re absolutely thrilled that the whole team at Corinium has been recognised.”

The event, sponsored by Coutts, attracted 70 entries from all over Gloucestershire.

Sarah Irvine, the MD of organisers Gloucestershire Media, said the awards were about giving the county’s female entrepreneurs the recognition they deserve.

“The number of entries and calibre was outstanding and to reach the finals of this competition is in itself evidence of a winning performance.”

The judges were looking for a profitable business with a high percentage of women in the management team. Companies needed to demonstrate a positive impact on the economy, innovation, and expansion into new markets.

Corinium Care, founded by Camilla Miles in 1995, has 16 female staff at its head office in Nailsworth, and 95 per cent of its 800 registered carers are female.

The company has grown from a one-woman venture to an award-winning business, and a market leader in the live-in care industry with an increasing client list and a rapidly rising turnover.

It has twice been rated ‘Excellent’ by the Care Quality Commission, and has recruitment offices in New Zealand, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

“We have made a concerted effort to push industry standards and are always seeking ways to improve by offering a first-class service, excellent carers of talent and dedication, underpinned by exemplary training,” said Camilla.

“Our trademark is putting the personal touch at the heart of all we do, which produces the best results for clients, carers and staff. It is rewarding when that is recognised so publicly.”

Fifteen live-in carers take part in dementia care training

FIFTEEN live-in carers took part in a dementia training day, organised by Corinium Care.

The one-day course, held at the agency’s head office in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, featured all aspects of dementia from emotional issues to the physical aspects of moving and handling.

Carers were given examples of what to expect from someone with dementia and offered solutions as to how to manage it.

The trainees were all registered carers with Corinium who welcomed the chance to refresh their knowledge.

“It’s superb that Corinium Care offers this kind of training – not all agencies do by any means,” said Jacqui Shultz, 55, from South Africa who has been a carer with Corinium for four years.

“Caring for an elderly person with dementia can be tricky for both parties if you’re not prepared. This course definitely helps build your confidence.”

Leading the sessions were Training and Care Manager Jeannette Pellatt, and Training Manager Suzanne Hathaway, with Managing Director Camilla Miles.

Carers appreciated the opportunity to meet up with head office staff in Nailsworth.

“When we’re with a client, we need to know that someone is there to support us, and the back-up we get from Corinium has been fantastic,” said Jacqui.

Award-winning Corinium Care considers training a vital part of its business: last year more than 200 people took part in courses on how to look after someone with dementia.

They included new and existing carers and relatives of people with dementia.

The incurable disease affects about 680,000 people in the UK. According to government statistics, the number is forecast to increase by 38 per cent in the next 15 years.

One in five people over 80 has a form of dementia, and one in 20 people over 65 has a form of dementia. Two thirds of care home residents have dementia.

Managing Director of Corinium Care, Camilla Miles, said that helping carers to communicate with their clients is vital for the wellbeing of both parties.

“People with dementia can often feel confused and incapable,” she said.

“If carers haven’t come across that before, they need help to deal with it. There isn’t enough training out there for dementia care – not even for doctors and nurses - so we decided to provide it ourselves. We feel passionately about it.”

Mrs Miles, who set up Corinium Care in 1995, added: “We have the opportunity to provide one-to-one dementia care and dementia care training

in a dignified and safe environment and to allay fears about what can be a very uncertain future for the client and their families.”

The agency has 800 registered carers on its books. It has 16 full-time staff in Gloucestershire, as well as recruitment offices in New Zealand, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Carer Sally Donates A Day's Pay To Charity

Live-in carer Sally Rudman left a parting gift when she returned to South Africa after her latest placement with Corinium Care.

She donated a day’s wages to Homes in Zimbabwe, the company’s adopted charity.

“It’s a way of giving back for the way this caring venture has enriched my life, by opening doors to reach new heights of possibility,” said Sally, who lives in Pretoria with her husband of 38 years Neville.

Sally, 59, has been a carer with Corinium for four years and read about Homes in Zimbabwe on the company website.

“There is so much corrupton in charity work in Africa that I have become sceptical about donating money. But I get the impression that HIZ is a well-run charity with an army of volunteers and few overheads which reassures me that it’s all above board,” she said.

“I am aware of the huge need in my own country and can only imagine how much worse Zimbabwe must be.”

HIZ provides food and medicine for the elderly who are in desperate straits because of the collapse of the economy in Zimbabwe.

The charity feeds 1,800 people in residential homes who would otherwise starve. It also supports a mobile clinic, taking vital medicines to sick elderly people.

It needs money to buy food, fuel, water tanks, ovens, washing machines and wheelchairs. With £25, HIZ can feed a person for a month and every penny goes to those in need.

Sally took up caring as a career when her six children left home.

“Everyone thought I was bonkers but my reaction was that I’d be doing what I had been doing for many years, except I’d be appreciated, thanked and paid for it,” she said.

“It’s also enabled me to travel the world. The spin-offs have opened doors and thrown opportunities my way, making my dreams come true. Along the way I have met so many interesting people, gained confidence and generally reached a new level in what I have learned about myself.”

The Corinium Care team have so far raised almost £5,000 for HIZ.

Director of Care Services, Clare Armstrong, said: “Sally’s gift is a really generous gesture. Because of our links with Zimbabwe, HIZ has struck a chord with our staff, clients and carers and we’re really grateful that they’re all so willing to support us.”

Anyone who wants to add to the HIZ fundraising total can do so at www.justgiving.com/Coriniumcare