Opinion
not looked back since. She understood that in both professions you want to make people smile, grab their attention, and get them to come on a journey with you. Effortlessly transferring her skills as
an entertainer for the general public, she now uses her experience in producing large-scale events to create captivating, fun-filled activities for her new audience. We also had a former British Airways
cabin crew hostess join another one of our Kent homes, having found herself jobless following the pandemic. After spending 15 years with British Airways as part of its long haul flight cabin crew, jetting to destinations from Costa Rica to Peru and everywhere in between, she decided to become a recreation and wellbeing liaison. As cabin crew, her role was centred
around communication and she was required to keep people safe and deal with every situation. People skills and emotional intelligence were key – the same as found in a care home. We always endeavour to promote
and seek out creative, transferable skills across our highly professional workforce, so it was only right to offer opportunities to those who hold these unique skillsets and who found themselves at unforeseen crossroads in their careers. The new recruits have excelled in their
roles and are now crucial team members in their respective homes. The clue is in the name of social care – it is about being able to care and show empathy, understanding and compassion to others. Ultimately, we work in the people
sector, and if others have had experience working and engaging with the elderly then the opportunity is there to transfer those skills into a new, exciting career
where they can make a real difference to people’s lives. That is special and it is something we must continue to promote going forward.
What the future holds Speaking of the future, we have seen so many stories and articles in recent months that are trying to foresee the direction the sector is heading in and what the destination of a post-pandemic world will look like. Personally, I wholeheartedly believe
the phrase ‘out of darkness, comes light’ is appropriate in this situation. Yes, we have suffered as a sector, but we will be better, stronger and more resilient from this experience. Infection control practices are more
stringent and are now ingrained, and more channels of communication and community support have been woven into the fabric of our industry, which will remain deep-rooted and prosperous as we move forward in unity. At the time of writing, we are proud to
say that all 13 of our homes are now Covid- safe environments, with almost every eligible resident and care worker having
Martin Barrett
Martin Barrett is managing director of Nellsar, a family-run group of 13 care homes located in Kent, Essex and Surrey. Martin joined Nellsar as marketing director in 2006 following a career in recruitment consultancy and running care homes for adults with learning difficulties. As one of the sons-in-law of the company owners and CEO, he became managing director in 2013, leading a team of 900 people. Martin is also a board member of the Surrey Care Association, a not for profit company working to support social care providers across the county.
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had their first doses of the vaccine. With 21 June pencilled in as the date we can hopefully lift all restrictions Covid-19 has forced upon us, we look forward to a future full of hope and excitement for the sector. In the short term, we must all continue and complete the government’s vaccination rollout programme. Vaccination is the only way out of the pandemic, so as a sector looking after those most vulnerable to the virus, we have a duty to ensure and encourage everyone in social care who is offered a vaccination and who is eligible, to take it up. It is a real privilege at this point to be
offered a vaccine and to go to work and feel safe. We are incredibly grateful to the government and scientists who have managed to make this possible. Overall, while we edge closer and
closer to this new post-pandemic world, we continually grow as a sector internally, and perhaps more importantly, externally, as more people come to appreciate the sacrifices our heroes make every day to ensure the utmost quality of care is unwavering. Let their stories continue to grace our screens and newsfeeds! TCHE
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