Mears, the UK’s leading provider of home care and support services, is embarking on a major recruitment drive in Edinburgh, with 30 new positions to be filled across the city. This is the result of an ageing population and the rapidly growing demand for care at home services, which are becoming more vital than ever before.
Mears provides services for people who require extra support to help them continue living in familiar surroundings and in comfort at home. The company supports people of all ages, including those with complex conditions such as dementia or a learning disability, or those just needing a little bit of extra help.
The company is looking for new employees to support clients across several areas of the city, including Leith, Portobello, Craigentinny, Morningside, Juniper Green, Currie, Balerno, Hutchison, Colinton and the Calders.
Services are provided on contract to local councils and also on a private basis to those who want to augment the care they receive through the council, or have other requirements for support. This recruitment campaign is part of the company’s continued expansion across Edinburgh and the Lothians which will create 120 jobs in total across the board.
Russell Meddins, Service Manager for Mears in Edinburgh, says: “Our employees come from all backgrounds and previous careers and many have found a huge change in their own quality of life when they’ve come to work in this sector from elsewhere. There is enormous job satisfaction from working so closely with people and enabling them to live in their own homes as independently as possible.
“We offer very flexible working patterns so there are opportunities for part-time and shift work as well as full-time positions. We need both male and female employees and would encourage more people of either gender in Edinburgh to consider a career in care.”
Recent figures show that more than four million people over the age of 65 in the UK – around one in two – have some sort of care need. And around two million have difficulty with one or more daily tasks, such as washing, dressing, cooking or eating. By 2037, the number of people in Scotland aged over 70 will increase by 50 per cent and the number of those over 75 will increase by 80 per cent .
Support workers range widely in age, from 18 over 65, and come from all walks of life. Care is generally provided on a one-to-one basis, supporting people with some of the everyday tasks we all take for granted, such as bathing, domestic chores and cooking meals.
Although previous experience is welcomed, it’s not necessary as the company provides a rigorous training programme in addition to ongoing support with the opportunity for career progression.
Mears provides care and support at home to more than 40,000 people each week across the UK, delivering a trusted, flexible service to support people’s different needs. Its services include respite care, re-ablement care following an episode of illness or stay in hospital, domiciliary care for day to day domestic and personal support, 24 hour live-in care as well as palliative care services.
Anyone interested in working for Mears in Edinburgh can get in touch by calling 0131 334 2356.
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