More than just a job
Caring can sometimes have an unfair reputation as “unskilled” labour but the reality is that high-quality care requires great clinical skill, deep human understanding, and genuine compassion. Having the technical skills to complete the tasks is essential as the base, but it is carers who feel confident and supported in their role that can deliver exceptional care again and again.
At Airmid, we invest in and develop our team so they can deliver consistent care. The structures and processes that we have put in place ensure that the quality of the care we provide is not left to chance, or that it varies carer by carer.
This can also offer the greatest peace of mind to anyone receiving care and their loved ones, as they know their carer can provide human-centred, clinically excellent care at every visit.
Safer recruitment and induction
At Airmid, we believe that the best carer is one who is given support and guidance from day one. We have multiple processes in place to ensure this:
- Our recruitment process isn’t just about finding carers who tick the box and have the right qualifications. We also assess them on values and behaviours, especially for complex care cases where it’s important to find a carer who fits the individual receiving care in terms of personality and communication style
- Induction and shadowing before lone working means the new carer gets plenty of opportunity to learn, as well as supervised hands-on experience to help them grow in confidence
- Our competency sign-off process ensures nobody is given the green light until we and they are confident. This process involves shift shadowing, practical observations, and task specific sign-offs to ensure full competence. It’s not just about finding someone who has achieved the right certifications on paper, but about finding someone who can demonstrate real-world best practice. Our training gives them the knowledge, this sign off process proves they can apply it in practice.
Supporting and cultivating talent
The support doesn’t end once a carer has been signed off. We place great importance on ongoing support and monitoring to check competency and quality of care. Once a carer has been signed off, we continue to support them:
- Ongoing supervision means that whilst a carer can now work independently, they are continually supported through supervision, spot checks/care observations, and clinical oversight. This gives them the space to grow and find their feet in their role.
- For complex care packages or packages that involve conditions such as autism or mental health conditions, we provide carers with specialist training and clinical oversight
- Reflective learning and debriefing means carers are given the space to build their confidence and strengthen their decision making. They have regular supervision sessions (both planned and ad-hoc), feedback following spot checks, and post-incident or complex-shift debriefs. We don’t shy away from incidents but rather see them as an opportunity for us all to learn. We foster a culture that encourages open communication and discussion about what went well and what can be improved.
- Competency reassessment which covers a wide range of evaluations, allowing carers to refresh their knowledge, reflect on their practice, and demonstrate the skills they use every day. It includes revisiting core principles, practical demonstration of skills, and discussion of real-life scenarios among other things. This ensures carers feel confident, supported, and equipped to provide safe, high-quality care. When carers feel confident in their skills and supported in their development, the people they care for benefit from safer, more compassionate support.
What does this mean for families?
We believe it is not just the carer themselves who benefits from this supportive framework. People receiving care know that their carer is well-trained and backed by a supportive framework, allowing a feeling of calm that flows from the carer to the person they are caring for.
In addition, a carer who feels supported is more likely to stay in their role. This means individuals receiving care can expect to enjoy the familiarity of seeing the same face across multiple visits, allowing an authentic bond to be built between them.
Recruiting & developing
We don’t just recruit – we develop. We believe it is most important to hire someone and support them in their role rather than leaving them to get on with it alone. For us, we see the value in ongoing support for both the carer and the person they are delivering care to.
About the Author
Louise Paul, Airmid Staffing’s Registered Manager, has over 10 years’ experience in home care and has experience of managing CQC ‘Good’ rated providers whilst striving toward an ‘Outstanding’ rating.
info@airmidstaffing.co.uk
02034346040
