Welcome to Jacquie, our new care manager

Jacquie Whitmarsh-Everiss has joined live-in care agency Corinium Care as Care Manager.

Jacquie has spent more than 25 years working as a care manager, care assistant and in the NHS.

She was brought up in Gloucester and is a former pupil of Colwell School for Girls. Now a grandmother with four grown-up children and six grandchildren, she lives in Upton-St-Leonards.

“It’s wonderful working for Corinium Care. It’s the best job I’ve ever had. The support is amazing – it’s difficult to believe that 17 people in one office can get on so well,” she said. “To know that we are looking after people so well is very rewarding.”

Managing Director of the live-in care agency in Nailsworth, Clare Janik, welcomed Jacquie to Corinium Care’s head office in George Street. “She is extremely experienced and is an invaluable addition to our care team,” she said.

Corinium sponsors Barry Norman at Literature Festival

Chief Executive Camilla Miles with Barry Norman

Film supremo Barry Norman thanked Corinium Care for its support when he spoke about his new book at the Cheltenham Literature Festival.
The 80-year-old TV star, film critic, journalist and author has written a heartfelt memoir, See you in the morning, about his wife Diana who died in 2011, aged 77.
The event at Cheltenham Town Hall was sponsored by Corinium Care.
“With our roots firmly in Gloucestershire, we try to support local enterprise whenever we can, and we are therefore proud to be associated with the Literature Festival,” said Chief Executive of the live-in care agency Camilla Miles.
“It is also significant that Barry Norman cared for his wife at home which struck a chord with our values at Corinium Care.”

Fire crews get hot tips from Corinium Care training team

When it comes to lifting people out of tricky situations, the fire crews in Gloucestershire know their stuff.
But they got a bit of extra help when a training duo from Corinium Care in Nailsworth popped in.
The live-in care agency provides 24-hour care for frail and elderly people who can no longer manage alone, and the staff train all their carers in moving and handling.

Paul Barrett, Celia Mackie, John Drew and Suzanne Hathaway

Paul Barrett, the Community Safety Advisor at Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue service, asked them to come along and share their expertise with his crew at one of their training sessions at the Fire Station in Cheltenham.
Managing Director of Corinium Care, Clare Janik, was pleased to help. “Moving and handling is an essential part of our carer training. Our clients can be quite frail and something as seemingly simple as getting in and out of a car can become a major hurdle, not just for them but for their carer.
“If it’s done properly, it makes a world of difference.”
The Corinium Care session included posture awareness, safety tips, and a demonstration on how best to get a person from a wheelchair into a car.
Paul thanked the Corinium team for their help. “We have an ongoing training programme to make sure our fire crews are always up to speed. The Corinium Care ladies’ session was great – moving people safely is an essential lesson for all of us and they did a good job.”

Nigel cooks up a treat for Corinium Care

There’s not much Nigel Court doesn’t know about cooking, and about life around Stroud. So he was perfect choice when live-in care agency Corinium Care was looking for an outside caterer.

The company hosts one-week training schemes for more than 20 potential carers every month when lunch is provided every day. It also arranges client lunches and other functions at its offices in George Street.

Nigel was brought up in Brownshill near Stroud, went to school at Eastcombe Manor, and trained as a chef at Upton St Leonards.

In the last 30 years he has owned three restaurants in London, lived in Italy for seven years, run a restaurant in Nailsworth, and set up his outside catering business in the 1990s.

“I love working for Corinium Care,” he said. “This is one of the nicest jobs I have ever had. All the staff and all the carers I’ve met are lovely peole. It’s such a civilised environment to work in - it makes such a difference when you’re appreciated.”

Managing Director of Corinium Care, Clare Janik, praised Nigel’s culinary skills. “Whenever he cooks for us, someone always wants the recipe. That says it all. His food is delicious,” she said.

The award-winning live-in care agency provides 24-hour care for elderly people, those with dementia and young adults with physical and learning disabilities. Founded in 1995, it has 17 staff and 800 registered carers.

Seven stride out to support Alzheimer's charity

Seven ladies from Corinium Care's HQ in Nailsworth are lacing up their walking boots for a cause close to their hearts.

The magnificent seven will stride out in this year’s Memory Walk in support of the Alzheimer’s Society. 

Leading the team is the live in care agency's Commercial Director Amanda Butler.  

A lot of our clients have dementia so we are very mindful of the good work that the charity does and how important it is to try and beat what can be a devastating disease,” she said.

“At first just two of us signed up for the walk. Then five more joined in, including the Managing Director. So even if it’s raining it’s going to be a good day out.”
The 10km event takes place in the grounds of Highnam Court near Gloucester on September 15. Taking part are Amanda, along with Jo Wilkins, Suzanne Hathaway, Carly Lines, Celia Mackie, Managing Director Clare Janik, and Rachel Dedman.
The live-in care agency, based in George Street, Nailsworth provides 24-hour live-in care for frail and elderly people who can no longer manage alone.
Anyone who wants to sponsor the Corinium Care team can do so at www.justgiving.com/Coriniummemorywalk

Proud to sponsor Stroud Life's Customer Care award 2013

Corinium Care was proud to sponsor the Customer Care category in this year’s Stroud Life Business Awards.

The live-in care agency was the winner of the Customer Care and Service award 2012.

Managing Director Clare Janik said: “We were very proud to win last year and wanted to do our bit to promote the importance of putting customer care at the heart of any business.”

She was one of the judges in 2013 along with Stroud Life Editor Jason Chare, Chief Executive of Stroud District Council David Hagg, and solicitor Judi Bonham from fellow-sponsor Winterbotham Smith Penley.

This year’s Customer Service Award winner was the Ecotricity Group Ltd, the green energy provider based in Stroud which consistently tops industry tables for the least number of complaints per 1,000 customers, recording .55 in 2011 and .51 in 2012.

The Ecotricity team collected their award from Clare at a glittering ceremony at the Old Lodge in Minchinhampton, attended by more than 200 guests. “We’d like to extend our congratulations to the Ecotricity team who submitted a really impressive entry,” said Clare.

The judges were looking for a company which demonstrated a commitment to continuously improving its standards of customer care. They expected to see a clear, well-implemented customer care policy and examples of services exceeding customer expectations. They also wished to hear how customer care initiatives contributed to the overall success of the business.

Mary leaps from skies to raise charity cash

When it comes to adventure, the sky’s the limit for Corinium Care's live-in carer Mary Norris.

The 61-year-old jumped from a plane at 10,000 feet in a charity skydive, and the next day she took part in a 10k run in 31 degrees of heat.

“The skydive was absolutely awesome,” said Mary, who has been with Corinium since 2011.

“I was a bit nervous getting kitted up. Then you edge towards the back of the plane and realise it’s too late to go back. Then you jump and just drop. It was so quiet. I felt like a bird.

“It was tremendous. I’d have loved to do it a dozen more times.”

The next day Mary left her skydive base in Cumbria and ran in a 10k event in London.

“It was stinking hot so it took me 1hr 20mins – my worst time ever,” she said.

“My two children think I’m nuts, but they know their mum – I like to do weird and wonderful things and they were thrilled to bits.”

Mary is currently caring for a client in Lincoln who has Parkinson’s Disease. It was because of her client’s condition that she chose to raise money for Parkinson’s UK and has raised more than £700 so far.

“She is more thrilled about all this than I am,” said Mary. “She has been my PR officer in a way, getting me extra sponsors. She is really not well at the moment, but it put her on a high and helped get her through the weekend.”

Mary thanked Corinium Care for their support as well as their sponsorship. “Corinium Care are a great team. The training we’re given and the support that’s there for us carers is exceptional. Thank you Corinuim!!”

Amanda Butler, Commercial Director at Corinium Care in Nailsworth, congratulated Mary. “We’re proud to sponsor Mary – her courage is an inspiration,” she said.

Anyone who wants to sponsor Mary can do so at www.justgiving.com/esther-mary-norris

New MD to host seminars in South Africa

THE new managing director of UK company Corinium Care is heading into South Africa on a fact-finding mission.

Clare Janik has just taken the helm of the agency which provides 24-hour live-in care to elderly and disabled people in the UK. Many of its registered carers come from South Africa.

She and her staff will be hosting seminars in Johannesburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Knysna and Cape Town between May 30 and June 15.

“Corinium Care has had a close relationship with South Africa since its formation in 1995 and it’s important that I maintain those links,” said Clare, who has never travelled to the African continent before.

“It’s an opportunity to meet and thank some of the carers who have been with Corinium Care for many years. They are fantastic ambassadors for the caring profession.”

The award-winning company is one of the leading care agencies in Britain. It has 17 staff and more than 800 registered carers providing 24-hour care for people in their own homes. Its South Africa recruitment office is in the Eastern Cape.

The aim of the seminars is to explain to potential carers what the role involves.

Past and current carers with Corinium Care will be on hand to answer questions. Most are women aged 45-60, whose children have left home and who want to travel or visit relatives in Britain. An increasing number of younger women are also looking at care work as a career option.

“The people who join us from South Africa are hard-working, kind and compassionate. For many it’s a new career, and a new start in life with a reliable source of income,” said Clare.

Alongside Clare at the seminars will be the company’s agent in South Africa, Lindy Wareing, who began her career with Corinium Care as a carer 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.

On June 6, carer Claudine Murray will be on hand in Port Elizabeth to talk about her experiences. She switched to the caring profession from gardening in 2008 and has worked for Corinium Care ever since.

Corinium’s carers from South Africa usually spend three to six months 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.

“We’ve seen a huge expansion in the care business in the UK because of the growth in the elderly population, and an increasing awareness that live-in care allows people a choice as to where they would like to be cared for,” said Clare.

All who attend the seminars must have eligibility to work in the UK. The seminar dates are: Johannesburg (May 30), Durban (June 1), Port Elizabeth (June 6), Knysna (June 8) and Cape Town (June 15).

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

They're ladies who lunch, aged 101 and 103

They have a combined age of 204, and were born when electricity was a novelty and corsets were in fashion.
But Mrs Phyllis Beatty, aged 101, and Mrs Betty Grazebrook, aged 103, had a spring in their step when they were invited to a lunch in their honour by Corinium Care in Nailsworth.
The live-in care agency hosted the event at its offices in George Street as part of Good Care Week which celebrates and promotes excellence in social care, and to toast two of the company’s most senior clients.

Managing Director Clare Janik (centre) with lunch guests

“It’s a great pleasure for us when clients come and meet the staff in our head office,” said Managing Director of Corinium Care, Clare Janik.
Mrs Beatty studied Classics at Oxford University and trained as an architect before she married in 1946 and had two children, now aged 65 and 62. She came to lunch with her Corinium carer Hilary Scheepers.
Mrs Grazebrook married in 1937 and has a son, aged 70, and a daughter, aged 62. She attended with her carer Clare Lester.
“It’s very kind of Corinium Care to invite us to lunch,” she said. “They always send us a photo of the staff at Christmas, so it’s nice to put names to all those faces.”
Corinium Care and its 17 staff provide 24-hour care for elderly and vulnerable people in their own homes. It has clients all over the UK, and particularly in Gloucestershire and the South West.
In the last five years, the Corinium Care team has scooped a clutch of awards including a National Training Award, Business of the Year award, and a triple accolade in the Great South West Care Awards.

New Managing Director for Corinium Care

Corinium Care has appointed a new Managing Director.

Clare Janik, previously the Director of Care Services, succeeds Camilla Miles as Managing Director from the beginning of April.

Camilla, who founded Corinium Care in 1995, becomes Chief Executive.

Clare (pictured), who joined the company in 2003, said she is “immensely proud” to take over as MD.

“I am passionate about the care business and about Corinium Care. My aim is to continue to provide our clients with the very best service whilst ensuring our training provides us with the highest quality carers,” she said.

Also promoted is Amanda Butler, who relinquishes her role as Director of Operations to become Commercial Director of the company.

Amanda will put her past skills in newspaper sales to use in her new role. “I’m looking forward to supporting Clare to take the business to new heights,” she said.

Camilla Miles thanked Clare and Amanda for their loyalty and support and wished them well.

“After nearly 20 years nurturing the company and forging one of the most successful live-in care agencies in the industry, it is the right time to build on the management team.

“I have every confidence that Clare and Amanda will continue to take Corinium Care forward, bringing new ideas that will keep the company ahead in such a rewarding industry.”

The company, based in Nailsworth, has been a continuing success story since Camilla launched the agency from her kitchen table in Bisley. Amanda Butler was recruited as her first member of staff.

Since then, the business has gone from strength to strength, becoming a market leader in the live-in care industry.

There are now 17 staff in George Street, Nailsworth, along with more than 800 registered carers, and offices in Zimbabwe and South Africa.

In the last five years, the Corinium team has scooped a clutch of awards including a National Training Award, Business of the Year award, and a triple accolade in the Great South West Care Awards. It has twice been rated ‘Excellent’ by the Care Quality Commission.

Computers are on their way to schools in Africa

Computer equipment from Nailsworth is on its way to Africa, thanks to staff at Corinium Care.

When the live-in care agency bought a new IT system, the staff didn’t want to send its redundant kit to landfill.

Enter IT Schools Africa: a charity based in Cheltenham, which has shipped more than 35,000 refurbished computers to schools on the African continent since 2006.

Ron Pearce, Donations Coordinator from IT Schools Africa, was delighted with Corinium’s six computers, monitors and keyboards.

“Without people like Corinium Care, we wouldn’t be able to bring IT knowledge to many thousands of children in Africa.

“A computer can open up the whole world to them. It gives them an opportunity to learn a new skill that will have work implications, and helps break the poverty circle.”

The charity’s mission struck a chord with Corinium Care because many of its registered live-in carers come from South Africa and Zimbabwe.

“Our carers tell us what the situation is like in some parts of Africa, so we’re glad to be able to give something back,” said Corinium Care MD Camilla Miles.

The award-winning company, based in George Street, provides 24-hour care for elderly people, those with dementia and young adults with physical and learning disabilities. Founded in 1995, it has 17 staff and 800 registered carers.

IT Schools Africa collects IT equipment which is less than six years old for refurbishment at its HQ in Leckhampton. Some kit is also sent to five prison workshops in the UK supporting restorative justice. It’s then sent to schools in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya and Madagascar.

“We need desktop computers, laptops, keyboards, screens, mice and cables. There is tons of it going to waste in the UK which has the ability to transform lives in Africa,” said Mr Pearce.

www.itschoolsafrica.org

Join our training course for carers

Our next training course for people who would like to join our team of registered carers takes place from March 18-22.

The five-day course is free and takes place at our head office in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire.

If you think that becoming a live-in carer is for you, please get in touch.

We specialise in introducing carers to the elderly and adults with disabilities who need live-in care in their own homes.

Our award-winning training is second to none. During the five-day course, you will learn about moving and handling, medication, personal care, First Aid, how to cope with dementia and a general introduction about best practice as a carer.

Course participants are also interviewed during this period, and successful applicants are subsequently considered for suitable placements with a client.

Applicants to become carers don’t necessarily need care experience, although it’s preferred.

What we seek most in applicants are excellent communication skills and a full, clean UK driving licence.

You should be a competent cook, and being an animal-lover is an advantage because many of our clients have much-loved pets.

If you’d like to be considered for the training course, please call Getta Sutton on 01453 839731, or apply by filling in the application form.

Completed application forms should be sent with your CV to gettasutton@coriniumcare.com

Alternatively you can post your application to Recruitment, Corinium Care Ltd, George Street, Nailsworth, Gloucestershire GL6 0AG.

For more information, click here.

Welcome to Getta, Sarah and Carly

Three new staff have joined Corinium Care as the company continues to expand.

Getta Sutton, 53, is the new Recruitment and Training Co-ordinator. She has spent most of her career in customer services for companies such as Harrods and Reader’s Digest. A trained counsellor, she has also worked as a complaints manager in the NHS.

“After working most of my life for big corporations, witnessing the personal touch in action here astounds me. It’s a complete contrast.”

Getta first came across Corinium Care when she registered as a live-in carer in 2011.

“Because I was a carer myself, it makes it easier to understand how recruitment and training work,” she said.

Carly Lines, 23, joins as Administration Assistant. “I’ve always been interested in the admin side of the care business so this is perfect. I absolutely love it,” she said.

Sarah Parris, 38, is the new Bookings Assistant. A former pupil of Stroud High School, she has spent most of her career in tourism.

“I’m still learning about live-in care – it’s totally different from talking to travel operators all day,” she said.

Managing Director of Corinium Care, Camilla Miles, welcomed Getta, Carly and Sarah. “Given the sensitivity of the work we do, it’s really important to find the right staff. All three have already become invaluable members of the team,” she said.