People of all ages and all backgrounds work as care professionals in North Yorkshire - so come and join the team and make a difference to people’s lives.

That’s the message this week as the county’s social care leaders send out an appeal for people to join a profession which offers a rewarding lifetime career.

All sorts of people across the county have made this life-changing step into the care profession, from builders and retail workers to accountants, young graduates and parents wanting flexible but rewarding work.

It was a lightbulb moment for Adrian that switched him over to life as a care professional. 

After 25 years a retail manager for Pets at Home and then Curry’s, Adrian suddenly realised he had reached his limit selling TVs when his fiercely independent parents needed the help of carers to continue to lead fulfilling lives.   

“I suddenly thought ‘that’s the job for me’ ” he said. “At the end of each working day I wanted to feel I had made a real difference to somebody’s life.” 

The Northern Echo:

Adrian never looked back and has worked as a care professional for the last nine years. He supports people in the community to regain their independence and build up their confidence after an illness or a fall or other difficulty.  

He said: “You never get bored in this job. Every day brings different challenges, different people. I see my job as helping people, young and old, feel they are worth something, feel that they can do things and make a contribution, that they can have a quality of life. 

“When people come out of hospital they are at first so relieved to be at home; everybody wants to be at home, all your memories are there, all your familiar things. Then the reality hits them that they can’t do the things they used to be able to do. My job is to support them to get back to doing things for themselves to make them feel they have worth. 

“This job gives you all the training you need to make those decisions that can make people’s lives better.  

“My work also makes a difference to families who are often so grateful that somebody is there to give the care needed to their loved one. You never get tired of seeing that look of gratitude and relief.” 

Across the county North Yorkshire has 20,000 people working in the care sector, from the 13,000 care and support workers in 500 organisations providing services in residential care and people’s homes through to social workers, project managers and administrators. On any given day, there are at least 1,000 jobs available across the county.

Join Team North Yorkshire – become a care professional and make a difference

You can find out more and apply for jobs across the care sector directly on our Make Care Matter recruitment website www.makecarematter.co.uk