Kim’s Career Journey at a Care Home in Somerset

When Kim Viner first walked through the doors of Catherine House Care Home as a teenager, it was the day after finishing her GCSEs.

 

Seventeen years on, Kim is now the heart of Catherine House, having worked across almost every part of the home over the years. Her story reflects how working in care can open unexpected opportunities, with each role bringing new experiences, new skills and new ways to support the people around you.

 

Care has always been part of Kim’s life. Growing up, she watched both her sister and her mum, Debbie, build their own paths in care, with Debbie spending more than 25 years as Head Chef leading the catering team at Catherine House Care Home.

Over the years, Kim has built her own career within the home, and with her daughter also growing up around the people who work and live there, care has become part of three generations of one family, grandmother, mother and granddaughter.

After her A-levels in philosophy, psychology and art, Kim had the option to go to Trowbridge College to study interior design or a career in care at Catherine House, safe to say, one of those choices stuck for the next 17 years…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How It Started

 

“Before joining Catherine House in 2009 when I was a teenager and studying for my A-levels, I was already working weekends as a cleaner at Frome Nursing Home, alongside my sister and people I already knew. Back then, Frome Nursing Home could offer me part-time hours, but Catherine House could offer me full-time, which is what I was looking for at the time.

 

My decision to go straight into full-time work at Catherine House instead of going on to college or university came down to money. I could have gone on to college or university, but I wanted to start earning. A lot of people I knew went to uni and later found themselves in jobs that had nothing to do with their degree, so for me, going straight into care felt instinctively like the right choice.

 

Working in care was a path that made sense to me. I’ve always enjoyed helping people, and from a young age I understood that as people get older, they sometimes need extra support. Working in care has only reinforced that and shown me just how rewarding it can be to make a difference in someone’s day.”

 

Support That Stays with You

 

“I definitely remember my first shift! I was too young at first to work in laundry, so I was thrown straight into cleaning, which actually suited me because I learn best by getting stuck in.

 

Over the years, my role kept changing. I’ve worked in the kitchen, spent time in care, helped build beds with maintenance, and supported Sharon, our Activities Coordinator, with events and activities. I picked up ordering and rotas, and if something needed doing, I’d usually find myself stepping in.

 

I’ve done most job roles in this building except nurse, so by the time the administrator role came up, I already had a good feel for how the home worked. It was then that our Home Manager, Sherin, asked if I wanted the opportunity. I said, ‘Let me have some time shadowing the current administrator, so I can see what it actually involves.’ They gave me the time and support to properly look at the role before committing to it, and that made a big difference.”

 

Continuing to Grow

 

Seventeen years on, Kim’s story reflects how a career in care can change over time, shaped by different roles, life experiences and the people around you. From her first cleaning shifts as a teenager to becoming a key part of daily life at Catherine House, her journey shows how care can grow alongside you, and that you never quite know where it might lead!

 

Alongside her day-to-day role, Kim has continued to grow through Evolve Care Group’s leadership programme and by supporting projects across the organisation, working with colleagues from the home’s central support office. She says being invested in and encouraged to develop has given her the confidence to keep learning and take on new opportunities.

 

If you ask Kim what has kept her in care for 17 years, and she will say it comes down to the sense of community.  “The people are what make Catherine House special. Not only the people we care for, but the team as well. We’re more than colleagues, we’re a community and a second family.

 

My daughter doesn’t even come straight to me anymore when she visits, she goes to see other team members, her great-great-uncle, or my elderly neighbour first! That says everything about the welcoming atmosphere we’ve created.

 

I’m definitely not one of the youngsters anymore! Everyone jokes that I’m part of the furniture, but I think that just shows how much Catherine House has become a big part of my life.”

 

To find out more about life at Catherine House Care Home, please contact us