From Home Care Workers to Home Care Coordinators

For husband-and-wife duo, Hardeep and Ravi, there have been countless opportunities at The Salvation Army to not only learn, but also progress in their careers since they first begun as Home Care Workers in late 2021. As Hardeep affirms, “If you’re really wanting to do something, there are options, and The Salvation Army is always there for you.”

Hardeep  has noticed a significant point of difference working for The Salvation Army since starting with the organisation. “You know, because it’s not only the matter of who we care for, who we look for, it’s the value of things,” he says. “It’s the value of the clients, the value of their emotions, the value of their needs. The Salvation Army has a person-centred approach.”

For Ravi, she had already been working in residential care, yet was looking for a new challenge. Perhaps the most meaningful element of changing to Home Care work for her has been the connections she has formed with clients and the support she received along the way. “Home Care was a very new thing for me,  but everybody  did support me,  and they are good listeners. I felt supported throughout.”

The specialised support a Home Care Worker can provide to a client is no doubt one-of-a-kind and Hardeep shares a touching example of some of the connections he has formed as a result of his time as a Care Worker. “When I was working in Home Care, I used to give company and social support for one of my clients and I used to take him to the church.  You know, that was a fabulous experience; working with this guy. The change I’ve seen. He was homeless and they got him all the support from The Salvation Army. He got housing. He got Meals on Wheels. You name it.” The most profound moment, however, was when a client passed, and his family asked Hardeep to join them for the funeral.” He was touched, stating “they acknowledge your work and that makes a difference.”

Both Hardeep and Ravi have not only experienced great emotional reward from their work, but also career progression since first joining The Salvation Army. Hardeep noticed that The Salvation Army supported his career progression even before he was accepted as a Home Care Worker. “The first day I remember when I got my interview with my last manager, I said, ‘I’m doing my study’ and he said ‘alright, finish your studies, we’re looking forward to when you finish your studies, and we are there for you.’”

Their advice for getting involved in Home Care? “Open mind and open heart. Don’t judge. At the end of the day, we’re all getting there, and we’ll also look for the support,” says Hardeep. In the same tone, Ravi affirms, “the Home Care Worker comes in, and you know, they just support the client to live independently.” As Hardeep says, the demand for Home Care Workers has never been more valuable, “it’s not just important, it’s a need.””

For information about joining our team, please see the following link:

https://agedcare.salvos.org.au/join-our-team/