Proud to Care Surrey, in association with the Surrey Care Association and Surrey County Council, has launched an online regional hub to inspire the next generation of care workers. The website not only acts as an online recruitment portal for those looking for work, but also showcases the wealth of care opportunities throughout Surrey and the prospect of a valuable career.
The launch comes at a time when large scale job losses are being announced across the country almost daily, providing invaluable information to those thinking of changing their career path during these unprecedented times.
A job within the care sector offers ‘a role with values’ in an industry that’s not only in need of employees, but one that’s actively growing in Surrey. Given its diverse needs, it also provides an outlet for many transferable skills – from hospitality to airline workers, marketers to customer service providers – the broad scope of care and its ancillary services calls for wide-ranging skill sets, meaning it offers a prospective career path to a huge swathe of potential workers.
Furthermore, Surrey has a population with changing needs, meaning those who work in care are set to benefit from extensive career opportunities and an ongoing demand for their skills in the county.
Here, Proud to Care seeks to display the vast career opportunities and progression in Surrey – giving new, young and returning workers the resources to embark on a career that will set them up for life.
The Proud to Care Surrey website delivers an easy to use platform, allowing the public to connect with an array of care providers to source the perfect role for them, as well as offering genuine advice and information for those in Surrey considering the prospects of care work.
Ali Porteous, Head of Proud to Care Surrey and Workforce Project Manager at the Surrey Care Association, said: “Every one of us, at some point in our lives, has cared in some capacity. We’ve all displayed caring gestures, even if we wouldn’t necessarily recognise what we’re doing as ‘caring’. Working in our sector then is just an extension of what comes naturally to so many of us. It’s also an incredibly rewarding career choice.”
She continued: “It’s important to recognise though that the care sector doesn’t just mean physically caring for others. There are so many ancillary roles that people can look to engage with, be that in IT, marketing, accounting and more, the care sector is full of varied and diverse roles that suit a whole range of personality types and skill sets.”
She added: “The Proud to Care website helps us to point people in the direction of worthwhile job opportunities that match what they’re looking for – providing a platform for both job providers and those searching for one.”
Proud to Care is particularly focused on educating the young about careers in care and helping them to find work within the sector. Importantly, the site shares the career paths young people can take for a full-time profession which is in constant demand from employers, as well as highlighting that care work can fit around other commitments, with flexible shift patterns allowing young people to juggle studying, family and personal lives alongside their workload. A refreshing example of this can be found in the website itself, which was primarily developed by a young digital media executive undertaking their first role in the care industry.
Ali Porteous commented: “Much of the media development work has been done by a young man called George Willment who is a recent graduated in Digital Media from the University of Leeds. He’s tremendously talented, but this role has enabled him to add vital on the job experience to his CV. If though, prior to this, you’d asked George if he could ever see himself working in care he’d likely have said no. But, having developed Proud to Care and by overseeing its ongoing digital needs, George is effectively working in the care industry – something that just serves to underline the diverse opportunities in the sector.”
At present, the site showcases an array of jobs, including the following current vacancies:
Ali Porteous concluded: “The main message we want to convey is that the care industry is very much open and welcomes those who are looking for work – especially if they’re looking for a role they can take pride in. Ultimately though we’re looking for those who care, and, if you do a bit of self-reflection, you may find that you both care and have cared more than you might realise. The sector is open to everyone.”
Proud to Care Surrey launches in October as an online regional brand which aims to reinvent the meaning of care in Surrey, inspiring newcomers to think about a career in care, revive existing workers’ enthusiasm for the work they do, encourage previous workers to return to the field and – most importantly – promote care work for the rewarding profession it is, while, above all, encouraging care sector workers to take pride in what they do.
