It’s never been easier to join our team!
Today we are going to bring you some tips regarding the interview process for securing a job as a Comfort Keepers Carer. Read on to discover our 6 steps to a career in homecare.
Step 1
Apply for a Comfort Keepers Carer position. Vacancies are listed here. You can filter to see if there are vacancies in your area. We have 9 branches across the country and there are currently vacancies in many of them.
Be sure to outline your experience to date, as well as future plans. Many of our carers are people who have cared for an elderly relative and would now like to care for others. You may not have any qualifications as yet but rest assured, you can complete the modules as you are working with us free of charge. We believe that a kind and caring person can be trained to become a professional healthcare worker but you can’t train a person to be kind and caring. The QQI award needs to be completed and achieved within two years and Comfort Keepers subsidises the cost of this training. Pay rates increase as modules are completed.
Other home carers are students, some will be training to become nurses, occupational therapists, and other healthcare professionals. Others may be doing Arts or Science and recognise that they would make wonderful carers. Comfort Keepers has part-time hours, evening and weekend work available which suits a student’s timetable. You will require a driving licence and car if living in a rural area. A car is not necessary for some city areas as client’s houses will be close to public transport.
Tip: When applying, do read the full job description thoroughly. Being a ‘home carer’ is different from being a ‘home care assistant’. While home care does involve providing companionship, it also provides helping people with personal care using your practical, caring, friendly and empathetic manner.
Step 2
The next stage is a telephone interview. The interviewer will ask you a number of questions and will outline the pay rates, the job description and the hours required/available.
Tip: Read through the job description and your application form again just before the interview.
Step 3
You will then attend an interview. The interview will include a number of questions to ensure that you are the right person for this role.
The interview will include a number of ‘scenario’ type questions where we ask you how you would respond to particular scenarios that might happen over time to a home carer.
A sample question would be ”You arrive at a permanent client’s house for your scheduled visit. You have a key and let yourself in. However, you then realise nobody is at home. What would you do in this situation?”
Tip: Come prepared for the interview and remember to bring your documents with you. These include your application form, your references, and your garda vetting forms. If you require a visa to work in Ireland, you must bring those forms with you too.
You can practice for the ‘scenario’ questions by imagining various scenarios that might occur, think about what the correct reaction would be and voice that aloud to a friend or family member to get their opinion.
Step 4
Once you have passed the interview, we check all references and have to wait until the garda clearance forms come back. That can take 4-8 weeks.
Tip: Bring the completed Garda Vetting form at the interview stage as that will speed up the process.
Step 5
You will complete our induction process, complete with one day of online training and two days in-classroom. These cover Comfort Keepers policies and procedures, as well as Manual Handling.
Step 6
You must then complete your mandatory shadowed visits—as well as your QQI Modules in Care Skills and Care of the Older Person if you have not done so already. Then you will be a fully-trained Comfort Keeper!
Comfort Keepers loves to celebrate the best of our carers too. Every year, we host our ‘Carer of the Year’ Awards ceremony, so apply now, you never know, you may be our next top carer!
We hope you enjoyed this 6 steps to a career in homecare.
Home Care Vacancies
Working as a home carer is a very rewarding and fulfilling career. You will be working in the area you live, you’ll get to know other carers by attending events and coffee mornings and there is a certain amount of flexibility within this career too as you can choose to work full-time or part-time. Many of our part-time carers work 9-3 when their children are in school, or they work evenings and weekends. Some carers work full-time during the week with one weekend a month on call.
Connect with us
Firstly: To begin starting care for your loved one or find out more about Comfort Keepers, click here.
Secondly: After reading our 6 steps to a career in homecare, you can join our incredible award-winning team, you can apply now by clicking here or emailing your CV to recruitment@comfortkeepers.ie
Lastly:
Every person has an inner spark. It’s something age and illness cannot take away. That’s why, at Comfort Keepers, we go beyond daily care needs to nurture those unique qualities. We wish to bring about a sense of hope, connectedness, purpose, and most importantly, joy. From 1 hour of care per week to 24/7 complex care, Comfort Keepers’ clinically-led team have got your care needs covered.
