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New recruitment drive in North Ayrshire

With care at home services growing in demand across the region, Independent Living Services (ILS, part of Mears Group), is embarking on a new recruitment drive as part of its expansion in North Ayrshire, with up to 30 positions to be filled over the next few months.The company provides services on contract to North Ayrshire Council and supports older people at home and disabled people of all ages. Services are also provided on a private basis to those who want to augment the care they receive through the council, or have other requirements for support.ILS offers flexible working patterns which employees can fit around their own availability, and as such, it is looking for a range of full-time, part-time and shift workers. Although previous experience is welcomed, it’s not necessary as ILS provides a full training programme in addition to ongoing support with the opportunity for career progression.The company is recruiting in Fairlie, Largs and West Kilbride down to Kilwinning, Ardrossan, Stevenston, Saltcoats and Irvine.The new positions are a result of growing demand in the area for care at home services, which are becoming increasingly important due to an ageing population. ILS can help to support older people to live in their own homes rather than in long-term residential care.Jennifer Barr, Service Manager for ILS in North Ayrshire, said“Our support workers come from all backgrounds and previous careers and many have found a huge change when they’ve come to work in this sector from elsewhere. They get an enormous sense of job satisfaction from working so closely with people in the community, and by helping them to live as independently as possible in their own homes as well as being active in their local communities.“We’re delighted to be expanding in North Ayrshire in order to meet growing demand for these services, and would be happy to hear from people who want to make a real difference to the quality of people’s lives.”Anyone interested in working for ILS in North Ayrshire can get in touch by calling 0800 023 4256.Most positions will require people who have a driver’s licence and access to a car. There are some walking positions available if applicants live in the area in question.ILS is a major, long established provider of care across Scotland, working in partnership with local authorities, as well as on a private basis. It provides care at home, predominantly for older people, but also for disabled adults, and support for children and families. It helps these people to remain within their own homes, and will assist with personal care, meal preparation, supervising a medication regime and other daily living tasks. ILS is part of the Mears Group, one of the UK's leading providers of home care and support services.Local employee case studyArlene McGeaghie, aged 47, lives in Irvine and has been working in the town for ILS since March 2012. Previously she had worked in retail before taking some time off due to ill-health. She needed a job which she could fit around caring for her parents who both suffer from dementia, and although she had never worked in the care sector before, she thought she would give it a go. And she has never looked back. Arlene works on a routine of four days on, four days off. On three of her working days, she is a support worker, visiting her clients. On the fourth day she takes on the role of team leader, carrying out observation checks on other support workers.“I can honestly say that I love my job. Although I provide support for simple everyday things such as personal care, shopping and meal preparation, companionship is also really important, especially as I might be the only person one of my clients sees in a day.“I’ve really built up a rapport with my clients and they say they look forward to my visits, and I look forward to them too. It’s really great to see the smile on their faces when I arrive. I’ve realised how much difference I can make to their lives - helping them to have a better quality of life is fantastic and really rewarding.“The fact that I had no previous experience in this area didn’t matter, as the company provided the training that I needed. And I’ve already been given more responsibility, which I’m really happy about. Now I can’t imagine doing anything else, and only wish I’d done it sooner. I even get bored on my days off. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who has a caring nature and wants to help people.”

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