Caring charity creates 40 jobs in Greater Manchester

People who pride themselves on being caring and compassionate are being offered the ultimate Tier Three job opportunity - getting paid to look after someone in their own home.

PossAbilities, a Heywood care provider that promotes shared living, is looking for 40 people across Greater Manchester to open up their homes and hearts to people who need support – for mental health, dementia, or a learning disability, and earn up to £380 a week in return.

The opportunity comes as more people are seeking safer caring roles amid the ongoing pandemic, and it is hoped people of all ages, abilities, histories and experiences will apply for the exciting new roles.

Karen Burke, 56, is a Shared Lives carer based in Middleton. She said: “Being a Shared Lives carer is a job that sounds a little too good to be true – but it isn’t.

“The money is good, the hours are flexible and most important of all, you are providing a loving and supportive home for someone who needs it.

“Before becoming a carer I was a call centre handler for British Gas. But I found that I wanted a career that would fit round my family life, also allowing me to give back to others.

“The great thing is you don’t need any experience at all – just a caring nature and eagerness to support someone, and a spare room.”

Across the UK more than 6,000 Shared Lives carers support more than 14,000 people using social care, with 160 new opportunities currently available nationally.

Carers can provide day care, over-night care or a permanent home for a diverse range of people who need support in everyday life. This could be anyone from young people leaving care, those with mental or physical disabilities, to older people or those needing short term support following hospital treatment. 

Shared Lives carers come from a whole range of careers. As well as former care workers and health professionals, current carers include former bricklayers, mortgage advisers, foster carers, butchers and police officers, with young parents also choosing it as a career that works around their own childcare responsibilities.

Alex Fox, CEO Shared Lives Plus, the UK membership charity for Shared Lives carers and shared living services, said: “Covid-19 has had an unprecedented impact on all aspects of our lives, but Shared Lives carers have been doing an amazing job keeping people safe and well at home.

“Whether you’re ready for a rewarding new career, want to fill the gap when kids have flown the nest, or looking for a flexible way to earn some extra money which fits brilliantly with your family life, being a Shared Lives carer could be for you.

“You don’t need any qualifications as your local service will provide all the training you need and we will support you every step of the way. A wise Shared Lives carer once put it to me this way: ‘To be good at this, all you need is a home and a heart.’”

To apply, applicants should go to www.possabilities.org.uk.