Donna Moran started working in retail when she was just 18 years old. Though she would find herself stuck in a rut sometimes, she stayed on her chosen career path. She stayed for 35 years. In her heart, she wanted to do something else. But somehow, there was always something stopping her, like her growing family. Then something changed…
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When the coronavirus pandemic struck, it spurred Donna to reassess her life, including her career. She made a leap of faith and decided to quit her job after over three decades.
She listened to her heart, and to the people around her who knew her well. She chose to become a carer at Capability Scotland, providing support for disabled children and adults.
Her friends had long been convinced she would be good for the role because they knew how much she enjoyed helping others. Donna says:
Every day is an experience and everyone is memorable in their own way. No two days are ever the same. It’s interesting because you’re dealing with a lot of different needs, support needs. You don’t realise how varied things are until you actually start. You’re not just providing personal care. You are there to share their life.
A job with no previous experience required
Donna took on the job of being a carer even without any previous experience. She didn’t need any because Capability Scotland gave her all the training she required, like those on medication, manual handling and personal care.
“You’ll be trained to the highest standards. There’s lots of courses and every year we do an update on them. It’s fantastic. If you share the values that they do, then they can teach you anything. There’s always somebody there if you’re not sure of anything and they’ll be happy to help you.”
Capability Scotland staff get access to fully paid sector-leading learning and development as well as a fully funded SVQ placement for life. Aside from that, they have access to a 24/7 employee assistance programme, PVG checks throughout their career and a welcome payment of £600 (if they join before June 30, 2022).
A rewarding profession in helping others
For Donna, her work as a carer has helped her to understand the needs of others better and to be more open-minded to the kinds of issues that vulnerable people face every day. And while she is protective of the people under her care, she has also learned to support their journey to have independence and to achieve their individual goals.
“The best part of my job is the relationships that I’ve formed with the people I’ve worked with and supporting them to live their life to the full. It’s a great feeling of accomplishment when you’ve helped to make a difference to somebody’s life. Sometimes even the smallest thing you do for someone can have such a positive impact. It’s really rewarding.”
Make a career switch
Donna herself is a lot happier now, enjoying a good work-life balance. At 53 years old, her only regret is that she did not make her career switch years ago.
Her advice to those who would like to be carers?
If it’s something you’re thinking about, don’t waste time. I put it off and put it off. Don’t let anything hold you back. If it’s something you really want to do, just go for it because life is short. And if you’re gonna be happy and you can make other people happy at the same time, then that’s a win-win. You might surprise yourself and be like me. It could be the best move you’ll ever make.
Check out Capability Scotland’s website to explore a career in caring for others.
