CARING for her mother during her last, tragic illness led to a career change for a Warrington woman.
She packed in her job as an office manager and became a community support worker for care company Belong at Home.
Now Emma Gorton, 42, spends about 20 hours a week visiting elderly people around the town after training on the job.
She said: “It didn’t take me long to realise I’d made the right decision. Belong at Home really cares about its team – they’re flexible with my childcare, the training is exceptional and they even pay for your time when travelling between customers, not just the time you spend caring for them and not all domiciliary care employers offer this”
Emma was devastated to receive the news that her mother had been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.
Taking a break from work, she spent the precious time left looking after her mum’s needs, from managing medication and domestic tasks, to emotional support, before her mum sadly passed away.
While coming to terms with her bereavement, Emma struggled to decide how to move forward with working life.
“It was a difficult time and I was at one of life’s crossroads: I knew I didn’t want to go back to the office and I’d really enjoyed being there for mum and the district nurses said I’d done a great job and caring just came naturally to me.”
Still unsure about her next step, it was a chance conversation that influenced the path of Emma’s career.
“I was talking with a friend about my experience and she said Belong at Home had vacancies. With my background and no care qualifications, I didn’t think I’d be in with a shout but she advised that professional experience isn’t necessary and that they train colleagues who share their values.
“I thought, ‘If I can look after people like my mum, then I’m on to a winner’ and so I decided to go for it.”
Emma has now has qualifications in Health and Social Care which have allowed her to progress to a senior position.
She said: “People often call us ‘carers’, but I prefer ‘support worker’ as you’re supporting adults, sometimes at the start of their dementia journey, to live and enjoy their lives as independently as possible. It might be accompanying them to the shops or having a chat over tea and biscuits, these small everyday moments mean the world to them, which makes my job very rewarding.”
