A group of residents living at an Extra Care scheme for older people in Thatcham have launched a recruitment drive to help find more Care Workers to support them in and around their apartments at Alice Bye Court.

After a number of Care Worker roles became available at the Housing 21 scheme, located in Bluecoats, the group of residents aged between 60 and 99, decided they would take matters into their own hands to help find the best people for the jobs.

Ray, John, Joan, Reginald, Sheila, Carolyn, Lerma, Pauline, two gentleman named David and two ladies both named Joyce grouped together one afternoon after discovering that around 1.5 million people in the UK are now out of work as a result of the pandemic. The group who live independently in their own homes decided they would use their years of experience to provide advice to those looking for a new job.

Sharing what they hope will encourage people to consider a career in care and also give those out of work the inspiration to keep going with job searches, the Alice Bye Court residents offered anecdotal advice from their working years. From ‘Don’t be afraid to try something new’ and ‘Choose a job that allows you to make time for your family’, the residents also hope that those who see their photographs as part of an eight week advertising campaign will apply for one of the Care Worker jobs at Alice Bye Court.

The scheme is currently recruiting for full and part time positions and offers a competitive pay rate of £10.38 per hour. Those successful in their applications are also able to choose between guaranteed hour contracts and zero hour contracts, depending on what suits their personal circumstances. No experience is necessary for the roles as full training is provided.

Joyce, 92, who features as part of the campaign said: “We’re so excited to launch a recruitment drive for more care staff at Alice Bye Court. It’s also great to be able to give people who are out of work some advice from all of our years’ experience.

“We’d love to see more lovely Care Workers come and work here. It’s like a family atmosphere, everybody is kind and caring. It’s a life saver living at Alice Bye Court.”

To apply for a role at Alice Bye Court, please fill in your details on the Alice Bye Court Care Worker page, or contact Nicole Drake, Housing and Care Manager on 07974303213 or Nicole.Drake@housing21.org.uk