A care worker who uses her floristry skills to support people in Cornwall has encouraged people to use their own skills, passions and experiences to secure a care role.
Angie Christophers, who works for Riverside Support Service based in Falmouth, has spoken about her role to show others what caring for people looks like.
She visits Margaret Laity’s home in Brill around once a month to do activities with her like flower arranging. She used to be a florist and said it’s important to bring your own experiences and passion to the role.
She said:
“Just use the things that you love doing, if somebody is artistic, they love drawing and painting then use every skill that you have got. We’ve got a lady that works for us that loves cooking so she does a lot of baking.”
One of Proud to Care Cornwall’s main aims is to recruit more people into Cornwall’s care sector.
Cornwall Council cabinet member for adult social care and health Cllr Dr Andy Virr said:
“It’s clear that both Margaret and Angie get a lot of out of their time together. You can see from Margaret’s face how happy she is, and the pleasure she gets from arranging the flowers and having Angie’s company.
“This proves there is so much more to care than people might first think. One of the main things that I see is the difference it makes to Margaret’s life and the joy it clearly brings her. That’s not something you can easily describe, making that much of a difference to someone’s life.”
Margaret has family that lives nearby but they can’t be there all the time and this service brings another dimension to her life.
Angie went on to say:
“It just benefits in so many ways, not just to encourage that person’s craft but it helps them mentally and physically as well.”
Hannah Christophers, CEO/Owner of Riverside Support Service said:
“We take pride in the support we give to people and part of this is about doing more than the basic necessities. I wanted to create an inclusive service to promote everyone's individuality and individual needs For us care isn’t just about helping maintaining independence its about promoting independence, self worth, self love and well being.
"Of course those things are important but it's also about going that extra mile and going above and beyond, finding out about the person, their hobbies and interests, their likes and dislikes and looking at how we can support them to still do those things they love in a safe environment.
"We tailor support packages to the needs of our clients, so many love doing arts and crafts but are unable to leave their home environment, we bring the activity to them. Expressing yourself with an activity can have so many benefits and it also gives the person time to talk and connect and be listened to.
"It's not just about existing but living as full a life as possible."
There are jobs and more information about working in care on The Proud to Care Cornwall website
Proud to Care Cornwall website.
You can find out more about Riverside Support Service by visiting their website
The work of Proud to Care Cornwall is part-funded by European Social Fund (ESF)
