Caring for people was about the only thing Chio Rey Torres thought about when he was considering a profession.
Health care assistant Chio, 23, came to Shrewsbury from the Philippines 12 years ago and still lives in the county town. He has already been working in the care industry four years and says the job is immensely rewarding and he is learning all the time.
Chio works three nights a week at a nursing home in Shrewsbury and one day a week caring for a lady during her dialysis treatment. On days he is not working he is able to take on additional jobs from CLCA.
“The system works really well for me. Everything is good and the professional and organised way that CLCA operate mean it is easy to juggle my work around my time off,” he said.
“I have been working in care for four years, going straight into it from college – I studied at SCAT. I have been with CLCA for about two-and-a-half years and cared for my one lady on a one-to-one basis for a year, helping her during her day each week when she undergoes dialysis.
“CLCA are very organised and efficient and they know what I am working and when and are able to call on me on my days off to take on other work that needs doing. Sometimes I get the call on the day but they know my shifts for that week and that I will be ok to help out. This can involve working at community hospitals in Powys.
“The thing about care is that everybody is different and I am always learning something new. I love looking after others and listening to all the stories they have to tell – it’s all so interesting, a wealth of knowledge and so much living history to listen to.
“You never stop learning in this job and that is what I love so much about it. That and knowing that I am helping people who really need it on a daily basis.
“Being involved with CLCA has been good for me, they are a really good company to work for and are always there for you. There is so much experience within the company and they have seen it all really, so they know what needs to be done and organise things properly.”
