Care Assistant

Blue Octopus; England; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

Friends of the Elderly is seeking a Care Assistant to provide compassionate care in a new, state-of-the-art facility in Calcot. You’ll make a meaningful impact on the lives of older residents by assisting with personal care, companionship, and vital daily tasks. This role offers training and numerous benefits, including a pension plan and generous annual leave.

Benefits

Group Pension Plan

Generous annual leave

Wellbeing support initiatives

Learning and development opportunities

Monthly prize draw

Retail discount schemes

Access to loans at affordable rates

Health cash plans

Cycle to work scheme

Long service awards

Qualifications

• Passion for care and building relationships with residents.
• Empathetic and respectful demeanor.
• Willingness to learn and undergo training.

Responsibilities

• Assist residents with personal care and companionship.
• Help with meal preparation and mobility.
• Maintain and update care records.

Skills

Empathy

Flexibility

Self-motivation

Job description

Contract type: Permanent - 42 hours (Full-time) 26.25 (Part-time) per week (average),7.5 or 12 hourshifts (night work always 12 hours) and Bank.

Working Pattern: Days or nights - working on rolling rota of 3 consecutive days on and 3 consecutive days off.

Day Shift:8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Early Shift:7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m.

Evening Shift:2.30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Night Shift:8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

About Us

Friends of the Elderly (FotE) is a not-for-profit charity dedicated to providing excellent care with a family feel, we have been supporting older people for over 120 years. The charity provides care home and day care services for older people, as well as grants for older people in financial difficulty.

About Friends Place, Calcot

Due to open in July 2025, Friends Place, Calcot will be more than just a care home - it will be a vibrant, welcoming community designed to provide exceptional residential, dementia, and respite care.

Run byFriends of the Elderly, where we pride ourselves on delivering personalised, compassionate care ina state-of-the-artfacility.

Located in the heart of Calcot, Reading, our home will feature:

• Acinemafor residents to enjoy movie nights and entertainment.

• A stylishsalonoffering professional pampering.

• A peacefullibraryfor reading and reflection.

• A vibrantbarfor socialising and relaxation.

The modern facilities are designed to create a warm and homely environment where residents feel safe, valued, and supported.

Joining us as aCare Assistant, you will help our residents with various tasks including:

• Personal care.

• Companionship.

• Meal preparation.

• Mobility.

• Keeping care records up to date.

We would like ourCare Assistantto be someone who has a real passion for care. Someone who sees this as an opportunity to build solid relationships with our residents, to allow them to live well in later life by putting them at the heart of all that you do. Empathetic and respectful,self-motivatedand flexible, you will be a team player who is always willing to go the extra mile, enabling our residents to lead fulfilled lives.

No prior experience is needed, as we will give you all the trainingyou’llneed to excel in this role.

Thisisn’tjust a job;it’sabout making a difference to older people’s lives every day.

Why Join Friends of the Elderly?

Heritage of Care:Work with a trusted organisation backed by over a century ofexpertise.

Non-Profit Mission:Be part of a charity that prioritises people, not profit. While we take a commercial approach to our work, we are not forprofitand we are committed to our charitable values.

State-of-the-ArtFacilities:Lead acutting-edgecare home designed for comfort and community.

Professional Development:Access training and career development opportunities.

Make Your Mark

This is a unique opportunity to shape the culture and success of a brand-new care home, leaving a lasting impact on residents’ lives and the community.

In return for your hard work and dedication, you can look forward to a wealth ofbenefits:

• Group Pension Plan, with a 6% contribution from us.

• Generous annual leave.

• Wellbeing support through various initiatives, including an employeeassistanceprogramme.

• Learning, development, and progression opportunities.

• Monthly prize draw, with 3 prizes to be won.

• Retail discount schemes to make your salary go further.

• Access to loans at affordable rates, saving directly from salary and advance pay already earned.

• Health cash plans for you and your family.

• Cycle to work scheme.

• Long service awards that increase with length of service.

• Refer a friend to work for us and receive a £200 bonus.

• Uniforms are provided

• Free DBS checks.

Safeguarding:

Keeping everyone safe is one of the charity’scorevalues, andis central to everything we do at Friends of the Elderly. All staff follow our Safeguarding Policy & Procedures and, if they see or suspect abuse, we expect staff to report it straight away.

Criminal record checks:

As this role involves a regulated activity, successful applicants will undertake an enhanced DBS check, with barred lists check, and any offer of employment will be dependent on a satisfactory outcome.

Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar a person from working for us, this will depend on the circumstances and background of any record.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion:

Friends of the Elderly strives to treat all staff equally and be a diverse and inclusive workplace, where everyone can be themselves and everyone accepts each other’s differences. A charity where everyone is equal butdefinitely notthe same.

Our ambition is to ensure equality and celebrate diversity, all working together to create an inclusive workplace, which attracts andretainsthe best people. People that care and can make a difference.

We currently do not providesponsorshipbut we welcome applications from those who have a right work in the UK.

Don’tdelay in sending your application as we may need to close the vacancy early if we manage to appoint before the advertising closing date. We interview applicants as they apply.