Speak to someone who loves their caring role and you’re more than likely to trace it back to their childhood. That’s the case for Wendy Parker, a Senior Carer at Balhousie Forth View in Methil, Fife.
As the oldest of four siblings, a mother of six and a grandmother, Wendy inherently knows how to care. And when she nursed her grandmother at end of life, it brought it home to her how much caring came naturally to her.
After 20 years of “working around the kids”, latterly in a cleaning role, Wendy found herself keen to switch jobs and work more hours. She applied to be a Care Assistant at Balhousie Forth View in early 2021 and was offered a job on the spot.
A year and a half later, she was promoted to Senior Carer. And she says she is loving both the responsibility and the extra learning and training. “The Home Manager approached me and suggested I go for the Senior role and I honestly thought I was too old!” says Wendy, 47. “But I’m studying for my SVQ 2 in social care right now. It’s all online and in modules so I can do it easily at home on my laptop.”
Was it daunting taking on an official caregiving role, especially in a sector so highly regulated? “It was to start with, it was a learning curve. But the staff help each other and we work well together.”
The most challenging part of the job for Wendy is when residents are at end of life. “That’s hard because I look at them like they’re my family member and I treat them like that.” She has found herself staying longer than her shift ends, just to ensure she is with them at the end.
And the best part of the job? “I like being hands on and I like giving back,” says Wendy, who is one of the staff at Forth View who take charge of Forth View’s Easter, Halloween and Christmas celebrations. “I love it. I really feel like this is my vocation.”
Interested in joining Wendy at Balhousie Forth View? Search the current vacancies here.
