Visiting Balhousie Huntly, you might suddenly hear someone singing “I’m lovin’ it”. That will be Activities Coordinator Katie Hopewell – likely because someone has asked her how she likes her new job. She sings because after more than two decades of caring for her five children, four of whom have disabilities, she’s finally got a job she adores.
“Many mums are desperate to work but can’t manage it because so few employers offer parent-friendly hours employers. It’s even harder if you have kids with disabilities,” says Katie, who describes herself as ‘mad into crafts’. “I had to sandwich work between school hours and school holidays, and be able to drop everything if I was suddenly called in, which can happen a lot if your children have ADHD and Asperger’s.”
She quotes research that shows one in three parents of kids with disabilities – learning or physical – are likely to have depression and anxiety. Work, she explains, especially when an enlightened employer recognises the challenges they face, offers an escape. It has been for her.
Katie started at Balhousie Huntly a year ago as a cleaner. She saw the advert on the Thursday, interviewed on the Friday and started on the Monday. Balhousie is not slow to recognise experience and enthusiasm. Nor does the company offer rigid work shifts. Katie worked 9am to 3pm so she could pick her daughter up from primary school.
“Balhousie totally #buststhemyths that you have to work long, inflexible hours in a care setting,” she says. “There are all sorts of posts that have family-friendly hours and the group is really open to accommodating our needs. They recognise we have skills to bring to our homes.”
Her skills come from years of experience of caring in the community and in the care setting. This began when she was a child helping her mother look after her sister, who was 13 years older and had severe epilepsy. When her youngest finally moved up to secondary school in Huntly, Katie was able to consider a different post within in the company and when it became vacant, transferred to the Activities Coordinator role.
There are now two Activities Coordinators (ACs) at the 60-bed home, which enables Katie to work more flexibly around the other AC, Liz Thomson, who works nine to five Monday to Friday. This allows them to arrange events for those who don’t see family at the weekend and to work with individuals directly or in smaller groups, such as the jam and chutney making sessions that Katie organised recently for four residents.
Katie comes in on Sundays to run a bible reading group; last week, she walked to the shops with one chap to buy cakes which he took to his wife’s room and they had afternoon tea together; and coming up soon is a cheese and wine evening Katie is organising for residents, their friends and families. (It’s no surprise that there will be jam and chutney for sale in the corner.)
“I’m fundraising because we want to be able to buy proper fish and chip suppers from the local chippy once a month for all the residents,” she explains, although she’s not above targeting local businesses for discounts and support. She asked Tesco for help in the garden and they kindly sent 400 daffodil bulbs. Katie has been going out and digging holes so the next day residents can go out and pop them in the ground.
She is now sharing her ideas with other ACs in the group. During a visit to Balhousie Coupar Angus as part of her induction, Katie spent time with AC Patrycja Dwojak. “We really connected,” says Katie. “Not only have I taken away some great advice and resources for improving mobility and preventing falls, through an improved chair exercise program, but I have met someone who shares my enthusiasm for the job we do.”
Katie learned through Patrycja how to access online resources, such as Oomph! on Demand, an activities programme used through out Balhousie Care Group. She also noted down the names of some books she feels will be beneficial to Huntly, and plans to order some dementia-friendly games.
Would you like to join Balhousie Care Group in a part-time or full-time role? Contact careers@balhousiecare.co.uk or view our vacancies here.
