Clare Janik hosted three seminars about life as a live-in carer in Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town for potential new carers. Almost 200 people attended. Past and current carers were also invited to a thankyou lunch.
“Corinium Care has had a close relationship with South Africa since its formation in 1995 and it’s important that we maintain those links,” said Clare.
“It was an opportunity to meet and thank some of the wonderful carers who have been with Corinium Care for many years. They are fantastic ambassadors for the caring profession.
“We got such a warm welcome at the seminars. They really appreciated the fact that we’d made the effort to establish personal contact.”
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| MD Clare Janik (centre) with carers in Port Elizabeth |
The aim of the seminars was to explain to potential carers what the role entails.
Past and current carers with Corinium Care were on hand to answer questions. Most were women, aged 45-60, whose children have left home and who wanted 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 caring is a new career and a new start in life with a reliable source of income,” said Clare.
“A mix of UK and South African carers works well for us because the UK carers often choose to work for shorter periods, whilst the South African carers prefer the stability of a longer placement.”
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.