Emma’s story, carer

Becoming a care professional has helped my self-confidence

We would like to introduce you to Emma Wilson, care professional for Radfield Home Care Wakefield & Dewsbury. Emma joined Radfield Home Care just over 6 months ago.

Since leaving high school, Emma has worked in various retail and customer service roles. For 9 years Emma worked for a high street bank, in a sales role and a brief period working in recruitment, and the complaints department, and also managed a sub-branch in Normanton.

Emma explains,

“I began to feel very undervalued and more like a number than a person – it was all about targets and sales, and I started to feel very unfulfilled in my role.”

In 2016, Emma decided to go back to college and train to be a complementary therapist specialising in reflexology, aromatherapy and holistic massage. Emma explains,

“I’m hoping to study more holistic therapies in the future, as I see many benefits when introducing therapies such as these to people of all ages, especially older people.”

What has inspired you to enter the home care sector?

I am naturally a compassionate and empathetic person, and have always enjoyed looking after and caring for others. I was seeking a more fulfilling career and wanted to be more involved in the community.

I’ve found that helping clients to maintain their independence and remain in their own homes is extremely rewarding, and knowing that you are making a difference to their day provides a real sense of achievement.

What are your career aspirations?

I am hoping to start working towards completing a Diploma in Health and Social Care and am in the process of registering to become a ‘Dementia Champion’ for the Wakefield and Dewsbury branch. This will enable me to hold presentations within the local community and with our care team to raise awareness and share knowledge on the subject.

I am also hoping to study some new holistic therapies to support my continued professional development in this field.

Any special moments with clients you would like to share?

Each day has its special moments, whether it’s making someone smile if they’re having a bad day or helping someone to achieve a goal and watching your relationship with that person strengthen and grow. I always feel a great sense of job satisfaction.

What do you love most about your job and working for Radfield Home Care?

I never wake up in the morning and dread going to work, each day is different and there is always something new to learn. I love making people smile and bringing a bit of joy to their day.

It feels empowering to work through challenges and issues together as a team, and I feel fully supported; my voice is heard and listened to on any issues that matter. Working at Radfield has really helped me on a personal level and I have seen big improvements in my own mental health and self-confidence!