Johanna's Story

Going to university is all about newfound independence. New experiences, new friends… and let’s be honest - partying. Who wants to do any of that with their parents in tow?

Johanna felt like this; poised to study a three year bachelor's degree in geography, she didn't want to limit her choices by living at home. The challenge was how to make the most of this new freedom, while recognising that cerebral palsy means she needs more support than your average fresher.

At first, her parents felt anxious and a little sad about their nineteen year old daughter leaving home, as most parents do - but moreso because of her condition. Yet with Johanna’s liberty and wellbeing the clear priorities, they took a brave decision to make some radical changes, at what felt like a natural juncture.

After some very grown-up discussions, the family invited Avanta Care to explore some options with them. The family weren’t sure what kind of care was out there, all they knew was that they didn’t want anything standard or intrusive - because Johanna’s situation was as unique as she was.

So we listened. We had a think about how we could help, then came back with a proposal.

The recommendation Johanna went for was to have an informal, full-time companion carer accompany her during university term time. First, Johanna would meet a few candidates to see how they got on, then whoever she chose would join her at university. After careful thought, she picked a bubbly lady called Lucy.

September finally arrived, and Lucy (who’d been staying at the family home so they could get to know each other better) accompanied Johanna in the life-changing transition to university. It was emotional for Johanna’s parents, but a whole lot easier thanks to the peace of mind they took in her flourishing companionship with Lucy. The pair had separate rooms in the same halls, but Johanna could always reach Lucy via a private intercom. At any time of day or night, Lucy was only ever a few doors down.

On a typical day, Lucy’s job is to help Johanna live as independently as possible, and get the most out of university life. She helps her get around campus in a wheelchair, master new study skills in the library, and take notes - which Johanna isn’t quite fast enough to record on her own. After lectures, Johanna transcribes the notes herself onto her laptop, learning at her own pace. Lucy quite enjoys the challenge too - one reason they get along so well is their shared curiosity in people and the planet.

Then there’s the partying. The two friends go out to the student union together most nights, meet course mates and indulge in all the fun and capers every fresher can expect. Johanna feels fantastically empowered, because whatever she wants to do - fresher’s week, balls, gigs, societies - she can relax knowing Lucy’s always there for her. Lucy enjoys these events too because they socialise as friends, and friends look out for one another and make sure they get home safely.

Lucy has an appetite for life that’s really rubbed off on Johanna - her parents notice that too. They think Johanna is making a perfectly natural transition into adulthood, in the way they always hoped she would - on her own terms.

Technically, this isn’t what most agencies would call ‘live-in care’ because it doesn’t fit the mould. But then who does? At Avanta Care we realised long ago that there’s no such thing as one-size-fits-all. Special people need special arrangements - that’s why we worked with Johanna and her family, her healthcare specialists and the university, to design a package that’s truly flexible, informal and bespoke.

Joyce's story

Joyce loves being close to nature. On sunny days you’d always find her pottering about in the garden at home, enjoying the trees, plants and animals that fringe the family home on the edge of the Dales. Each day, a roster of friendly Avanta Care healthcare assistants would arrive first thing in the morning to help her rise, cook and prepare for the day, and once in the evening to help her wind down for bed.

That arrangement worked quite well for Joyce until circumstances changed and dementia began to get the better of her. She’d sometimes wake in the night to an empty house, unsure of her surroundings and in need of friendly reassurance and support. When our carers arrived in the morning, Joyce, tired and confused, began to refuse her medication - mixing up the group of regular faces who usually came to administer it.

For a short time, her family felt a little powerless to help - living so far away. Existing arrangements always worked so well that they never really needed to worry about their mother’s well-being - up until recently, she was happy and reasonably independent.

These latest developments complicated things. Joyce now needed attention beyond what casual care could deliver, combined with whatever the family were capable of, whenever they could visit. Plus, they had families of their own to care for, and mum had always been so proud - she didn’t ever want to be a burden.

The first course of action was to review Joyce’s care plan. Avanta suggested Joyce could move to full-time live-in care, with a dedicated carer. This would reduce the chance of confusion and give Joyce 24-hour attention, in case she became disorientated during the night. Her family mulled this over, and carefully explained the option to her.

The new arrangements soon turned out to be a great fit. Joyce took warmly to her full-time carer, Amy, who turned out to have even more in common than they ever imagined. They both love musicals, cinema, reading Agatha Christie novels and getting back to nature - things they quickly began to do together. The family even had Amy insured on Joyce’s car so they could travel further afield to holiday cottages for long weekends on the sunny coast - something Joyce hadn’t been able to do since her husband died.

Joyce’s regular medication is back on track now too - stabilizing her dementia. This is all down to the arrival of Amy, who she trusts like a friend. In fact, Joyce says it’s just like having a more able friend live about the house, taking care of housework, cooking and personal care. They even enjoy the same TV programmes (anything with antiques!) when the weather’s too damp to be in the garden.

Amy gets on well with the family too. She helps make their visits easier, and their time together always as care-free as possible for Joyce. She keeps them in the loop with what Joyce has been up to, involves them in her care plan reviews and makes sure she’s always getting the most out of life - with plenty of input from the family.

Finding a perfect match like this isn’t down to coincidence. It’s down to expert insight and access to the right people - the kind we have at Avanta Care. We hear stories like this every day. To us they’re opportunities to keep people doing the things they enjoy, for longer than you or they ever thought possible - just like Joyce.

Daniel's journey

It isn’t easy leaving home to find work in another part of the world. Just ask Daniel.

Back in 2015, Daniel made a huge sacrifice - he decided he could better support his family in Bulgaria by pursuing a career in UK healthcare. But that meant being apart from his wife and child.

Young, apprehensive, yet hopeful - at first Daniel wasn’t sure what to expect. All he’d heard from friends was that life in the UK was rewarding - especially for caring people who gave back to society.

“I want to live in a country with higher ethics and working conditions standards, where your hard work is appreciated and valued. I like to help people in need, elderly people are very vulnerable and need proper help and support, something that I believe I can deliver.”

So Daniel began by scouring the internet for job vacancies. He soon found plenty of employers but they left important questions unanswered. Like how do you find somewhere to live?, what training do you need to work?, and what’s it really like living in the UK?

Daniel discovered you could also get work through recruitment companies. Again, plenty of companies made big promises about job opportunities, but he found only Avanta Care took a genuine interest in his well-being, and getting him settled in the UK.

So he read reviews about us, stories from people we already employ as care workers, and compared our offer with the competition. Daniel felt a little nervous putting his livelihood in someone else’s hands, especially in a foreign country, but he really appreciated the honest answers we gave to his questions over Skype. That was enough for him to put his trust in Avanta Care.

Soon, Daniel was on the plane to the UK, with a place to stay when he arrived, and a week of intensive Care Certificate training ahead of him.

“Avanta Care are a professional company willing to go the extra mile to help you. Everyone I've dealt with has been great! I would recommend highly to anyone wanting to go into the healthcare industry. The team are amazing as they have helped me every step of the way.”

When he was fully trained and ready to work, our recruitment team offered some suitable jobs to Daniel. He then picked the best one for him and moved into accommodation nearby, which our welfare team also arranged. The job was challenging but Daniel understood that from the start, because we’re always up-front about what to expect.

“The most unusual privilege was to be involved in a family's care at their most difficult time. You can train for this but the only way to cope is feeling supported and prepared by a friendly team like Avanta Care. The most rewarding part is knowing you are helping people every day. You also are given the opportunity to learn new skills and improve current skills all the time.”

Daniel has been a valuable member of our team for two years now. In that time he says his standard of living improved greatly, and he feels completely settled into UK life.

He didn’t have to wait long to be reunited with his family, either. By dedicating himself to his career; making vulnerable people’s lives easier, he soon saved enough to support his family’s move to the UK. He now lives happily with his wife and child in their home in Leeds.

Anna's Story

Anna took a chance leaving to seek her fortunes in the UK. Open to possibility, she began by exploring lots of different career options. With a good grasp of English and a positive attitude, she knew that whichever route she chose, the UK was a rewarding place for people with ambition.

"I knew the language but I felt here was a country I was going to work in and live for the rest of my life."

So you could say what happened next was part luck, part determination.

Googling for job opportunities, Avanta Care kept appearing in the results as one of the most highly recommended recruitment agencies for workers from the European Union. At first, Anna saw healthcare as a convenient way to get a job. But after a little research into what it really involved, it soon sounded like a perfect fit for her friendly, caring nature.

So Anna took a chance. She applied for work and soon scheduled a friendly interview with our welfare team over Skype. And from that point onwards, Anna’s career was no longer left to fate. After we gave her an honest account of what it’s like to work in care, Anna weighed up her options, and decided it was the right kind of work to dedicate herself to.

A few weeks later, Anna settled herself comfortably into our UK training base. What followed was a week-long intensive training course in the Care Certificate qualification - to help prepare her for UK care work.

At Avanta Care, we love ambitious, open-minded people like Anna. Healthcare might not even be your first choice, but once you hear real-life stories from staff who’ve remained with us for many years, you’ll soon realise it’s a perfect gateway to a secure, rewarding career that improves quality of life for vulnerable people.

A few months in, and Anna found care work to be both inspiring, and occasionally challenging. One particular experience stayed with her - feeding an elderly person who couldn’t swallow food properly.

“Avanta Care are a professional company willing to go the extra mile to help you. Everyone I've dealt with has been great! I would recommend highly to anyone wanting to go into the healthcare industry. The team are amazing as they have helped me every step of the way.”

We’re always honest and upfront about what to expect when you work with Avanta Care, and we never make unrealistic promises. The rewards are great - especially to grow as a person, and improve yourself - all we ask in return is your ongoing commitment. We’re told that fairness is why people often choose us over the competition.

Anna agrees:

“Once you join Avanta, you'll never want to leave - really. They are transparent from all points of view, serious ... the best!!!”

Anna has lived in the UK for two years now, and she and her partner are expecting their first child. While her career began as something of an unplanned adventure, her commitment to giving back to society, matched by a reliable employment partner like Avanta Care, meant things all worked out well in the end for Anna.