Care Spotlight: A “tasty” change! – A story of compassion and positivity

As part of my role as a Research Officer on the Healthier Working Lives programme, I have been fortunate to interview staff aged 50+ in residential social care homes. It was overwhelming to hear about the significant hardships and challenges affecting carers, but I was also awestruck by the compassion the staff have for those they care. The many positive experiences that are a part of their day-to-day role deserves a spotlight.

Laura, a decade-long staff member with one residential care home on the East Coast in Central Scotland, shared a beautiful nugget in one of my recent interviews. Having worked day and night closely as a carer with the care home, Laura developed a keen interest in food and nutrition.

She also noticed that kitchen staff would often come in via job agencies and “not know the residents or the sort of food they like”, which disheartened her. She was then encouraged by her managers to get a qualification that would enable her to train as a chef so she could join the kitchen team. The care home took care of the fees for her qualification, thus empowering her to pursue her passion while bringing a change in the lives of people at the care home.

Laura went to regular evening classes at the local college for a year and was able to transfer into her current role as the home’s cook once she completed her qualification.

When asked about how would she compare the two roles and if she misses any part of her old job, she laughed, and said: 

This makes a most-welcome change from after COVID-19, when residents ate their meals in their individual bedrooms, and which seriously affected everyone’s morale. As Laura transitioned in her new role, the home was able to recruit a second permanent cook to support Laura during the week. The kitchen and dining area feels like the heart of the home and it is easy to see why residents and staff enjoy spending plenty of their time here.