This March’s Florence Star Award winner is Chris. Chris is a calm, compassionate voice of reason in a crisis, making him a great ambassador for Florence values. Here’s why we’re celebrating Chris this month…
Keeping a cool head
Things don’t always go to plan on shift. If you find yourself in a difficult situation while caring, it’s important to stay as calm as possible, follow procedure and treat everybody involved with empathy.
This month’s star award winner, Chris, is a natural leader. Care homes consistently give us positive feedback about his work, and he recently received praise for handling a tense, challenging situation in an “excellent and professional way”.
One of our values here at Florence is “Care about what you do”, and it’s clear Chris embraces that mantra on a daily basis.
“I care for elderly people, many of whom are frail or have dementia, and I try to support them wholeheartedly”, he says. “When I’m on duty, my goal is to make people happy – to brighten up their days.”
Chris says he gets a lot of personal fulfilment from his work. He’s patient, compassionate and respectful, and we’re so pleased he works with Florence.
From economics to care
Chris’s journey into social care started after he came to the UK just over a year ago. An economics graduate and entrepreneur, he made the switch to care because he felt inspired by the outreach he did with his church welfare team.
“We helped support people with different physical and mental challenges by providing care in the form of food, clothing, medication and other things”, says Chris. “I wanted to continue doing this type of work”.
After speaking with a friend who recommended Florence, he arrived in the country with all his signup documents ready to go. He registered with Florence, started taking essential courses at Florence Academy and before he knew it, began finding shifts.
“Care isn’t just a career – it’s a service to humanity”, says Chris. “Every day, I try to give the people I work with hope, and a reason to smile.”
Working with Florence
“I enjoy the flexibility of working with Florence”, says Chris. “I can choose when and where to work, and I can take essential training courses for free.”
Chris enjoys meeting residents, whom he describes as “wonderful”, and he’s made friends with fellow care assistants and support workers.
He especially loves the Florence app.
“The app is great”, he says, “because you can see available shifts and choose which you want to apply for. And you can read information about the home – like where it is, how many residents there are and which skills you need to have.”
Chris also appreciates not having to handle paper timesheets, and Florence’s Instant Pay option, which means he gets 60% of his pay immediately after his shifts.
“The benefits of Florence are enormous”, he says. “If you don’t sign up, you’re missing out.”
More than a career
Chris came from a business background and began working in care because he wanted to make a positive difference in people’s lives. We’re so glad he chose to work with us, and we’re proud to make him a Florence Star.
If you’d like to nominate someone for a Florence Star Award, email us at hello@florence.co.uk letting us know their name and why they should be awarded
Florence can help you find flexible shifts near you, take essential training courses and improve your work-life balance. Find out more and sign up today.
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