Celebrating carers with awards | Vicky Meets

• Where are you based and how did you come to start the company?

We are based in Chichester, but we provide care to people in their own homes; right across West Sussex and Hampshire. I had been in the care industry before I started the company and so I already knew that it was a difficult industry. It is a costly service to provide and you’re essentially sending skilled carers to go and do what is sometimes very intimate care. So the litmus test for us is more than the Care Quality Commission’s compliance; our employees are only those I would allow to look after my family and loved ones. I have done every single job within the company, including care calls. All staff here do care calls at some point. It helps us to remember how important that personal touch is.

• What else do you look for in carers?

There is everything to be admired about being a carer. It is assumed that it’s a woman’s job, but that’s just a bit old fashioned. Men make fantastic carers and the industry would definitely benefit from having a wider male input. Our employees range from 18 to 60. Attitude, not age, is the important thing. The actual practicalities of being a carer aren’t too difficult – I can teach someone to use a hoist, for instance, in ten minutes. But social engagement is really important, so a good carer should be genuine, honest, empathetic, compassionate and interested in people. You need to have an inner strength and, because our clients are all different, a good carer is also adaptable. We want carers to go in to homes to do the essential tasks, but also to make people’s lives a little brighter. A man who cared for my Granddad made him laugh and feel generally more upbeat. And because Granddad was happy, as a family we were happy. We were able to get on with our lives without worrying. I would rather be short staffed than have people on the team who see caring simply as a job and nothing more.

• You have a carers support programme. What is this?

Our carers can access legal advice, medical advice and also counselling. And some of our carers access it for bereavement counselling. The emotional impact of losing people that you have formed a relationship with can be really tough, so making sure that carers are supported is really important to me.

• You are seeking nominations for awards that will celebrate excellent carers in West Sussex and East Hampshire. How can we nominate carers?

We should have a much higher regard for carers, which is why I have set up the awards. There is a tendency for caring to be regarded as a low-skilled job, but it is so much more about your humanity and your willingness to go out of your way for somebody. The awards recognise this. You can vote at V2 Radio’s website: www.v2radio.co.uk/local/artius-care-care-awards

For more information about Artius Care visit www.artiuscare.com

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