WELCOME TO OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
Welcome to August’s edition of our monthly newsletter. This month we have lots to report on including celebrations, company updates, and information about exciting new training opportunities.
First and foremost, however, we take great pleasure in recognising and acknowledging July’s Employee of the Month who has displayed a positive attitude towards all her work and consistently exhibits exceptional caring qualities.
This month has been incredibly busy for the Alert Health 24 team but we're thrilled to have welcomed a new addition in this time, commemorated both a work anniversary and a wedding, raised a toast to our fourth birthday as an agency, and celebrated Makaton International Awareness Day.
Furthermore, we're proud to share that one of our team members is taking on a huge challenge this month, to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society, a charity which is very close to her heart.
Meanwhile, we have some fantastic training opportunities in the pipeline. In the coming weeks, we will be sharing further information about our new online Safe Handling and Administration of Meds course.
We hope you enjoy reading this edition of the Alert Health 24 Newsletter and wish you all the best for the month ahead.
Employee of the Month
We take great pleasure in acknowledging and honouring July’s Employee of the Month.
A massive congratulations to July's Employee of the Month; Georgia from the Devon Branch.
Aaron, our Devon Branch Manager, nominated Georgia for this award to say a huge thank you for all her hard work and to shout out how amazing she is.
Aaron said ''I would like to nominate Georgia for Employee of the Month. Since Georgia started working for us she has never turned down trying a new service. Every single one of the homes have given positive feedback about her, and a couple of the homes will request that Georgia is contacted first about available shifts. Georgia is extremely bubbly and positive about her role, and this is clearly noticed by the services she is supporting''.
We are very proud of how incredible Georgia is and want to thank her for being such a fantastic and integral part of the Alert Health 24 team. Your unwavering commitment, positive attitude and outstanding work ethic is second to none.
Thank you for being so amazing and positively impacting so many people's lives!
Aaron recently met up with Georgia to say a huge thank you and present her with her Employee of the Month certificate. She also received delicious brownies from The Gorge Bakehouse ! Yum!
Thanks once again to Georgia and Congratulations on being Alert Health 24's July Employee of the Month!
NEW STARTER
We're very excited to announce that this month we have welcomed a new Healthcare Co-ordinator to our Somerset team. Layla-Mae has recently joined us and will be working alongside Robin, Vicky, Scarlett and Ellisa to help strengthen our presence in the Somerset area, aiming to have a wider reach across the county and helping even more people.
Layla-Mae has worked in multiple different care roles including work in the community, mental health, dementia and learning disability settings. Layla-Mae worked as Healthcare Support Worker for 3.5 years and most recently in the mental health unit at the local hospital.
Layla-Mae is really looking forward having a change and experiencing an office-based role.
Layla-Mae's extensive experience in the field of caregiving, coupled with her empathetic understanding of the role, will prove immensely beneficial when engaging with our staff members and assisting them in finding suitable placements within the care sector.
Training Opportunity
In exciting news, we are thrilled to announce a new and upcoming piece of training that we are hoping to launch soon. This is an online course titled Safe Handling and Administration of Meds.
By meeting the latest standards, this course guarantees accurate medication administration on every occasion. Elevate your medication practices to the highest standard by utilising our comprehensive and easy to understand medication administration training course.
We are also in the process of developing an Epilepsy training course too so there are a lot of training opportunities coming up. More information will be provided soon with details on how to book.
TREK 26
On September 9th, our Senior Branch Manager, April, with her close friend Kerri, will embark on a challenging 26-mile trek along the scenic South Devon Coast. This demanding challenge is aimed at raising crucial funds for a cause very dear to their hearts - The Alzheimer's Society.
“The Alzheimer's Society is the leading dementia charity in the UK, offering practical and emotional help to people living with dementia and their families. At Alzheimer’s Society, we vow to help end the devastation caused by dementia, through dedicated support and research into life-changing treatments” (www.alzheimers.org.uk).
April said “I have decided to do this walk to raise money to be proactive during a difficult time for my family. My Nan has been living with dementia for a long time now and it feels like a situation where you can’t do anything to help, it’s very hard to see the someone you love change and parts of them slip away, the hardest part for me is the complete change in the dynamic between us. This is my way of helping, I know that my Nan would be beyond proud of me”.
If you would like to sponsor April (and Kerri) on their amazing efforts to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society, please click here:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/aprilkerri26
LEWIS 2-yEAR ANNIVERSARY
This month we celebrated the two-year work anniversary of Lewis, one of our excellent Recruitment Administrators!
Lewis has done a fantastic job within our recruitment team, ensuring potential staff members are out working as quickly as possible, whilst always putting their safety and compliance first. This has enabled thousands of people to be cared for by our amazing care staff across the UK.
We are extremely grateful to have Lewis as part of our AH24 family. He is always putting a smile on our faces and is a true asset to the company.
It was fantastic to catch up with Lewis and find out more about him and his role:
1) Please can you tell us about your role of Recruitment Administrator and how your role evolved?
Originally when I was first employed, it was for the role of Engagement Officer back when the branches were Somerset, Shropshire and Devon soon after. As the company was a lot smaller I used to call applicants to try and book interviews for the Managers. I'd also assist with making sure everyone got in their timesheets, post adverts on Facebook and ready the weekend handover.
As times changed and the company grew, my role evolved to focus more on compliance-based recruitment admin. Nowadays, I primarily make sure all the documents and details given by the applicants who start our process are correct. Ensuring they can be made compliant as soon as possible so they can start working. This includes: issuing their online training, applying for their DBS and sending out their handbook after induction as well as communicating to the branch what we're missing from them.
2) Which part of your job do you enjoy the most?
I would say it has to be when an applicant finishes the process. When I do that final check that we have everything needed and they are good to receive their Terms of Engagement. it's satisfying to see that person get to the end and know they are ready to work once those terms are all signed.
3) What do you find most challenging about your role?
I think the biggest challenge is actually how much variety there is from person to person in getting them ready for work. Although there are a lot of cases that are quite common, just when I think I've nailed down exactly what I'm looking for or what to do in each scenario, there's a surprise around the corner. After 2 years, just when I think I've seen it all, there's still something new to learn.
4) What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
When I first joined the company, video games were my biggest hobby. Since fitting into this rather peculiar family and making some of the closest friends I've known, I've also come to pick up board games! Rekindling my love for Dungeons and Dragons especially. There's also electric guitar but that's as work in progress as work in progress gets...
5) If you had to be an animal, which animal would you be and why?
Jeeeeeez there's a lot of cool and wacky animals. I reckon I'd just really want to be a dog. Maybe a Malamute or a Saint Bernard or even a Labrador. Something big, soft and gentle with a lot of love and care, and a sprinkle of goofball energy. Something not too complicated. That or just a really chill, big ol' toad, living its best life. As to what animal I'd actually be, I don't think I could answer that in a million years.
I'd really also just like to add a big thanks to the whole team for being amazing. Part of what I do involves working and talking with them regularly and I don't think I could have asked for a nicer bunch of colleagues to work with.
Makaton International Awareness Day
On Monday 28th August we celebrated Makaton International Awareness Day, this day marked the 50th Anniversary of the Makaton Language programme.
Makaton is an incredible language programme that empowers individuals with communication challenges to express themselves and connect with the world around them. Through a combination of signs, symbols, and speech, Makaton bridges communication gaps, fostering understanding and inclusivity.
Makaton was first developed by a speech therapist named Margaret Walker in the 1970s. It was named using a few letters from the names of the first three Makaton teachers: Margaret Walker (MA), Katherine Johnston (KA) and Tony Cornforth (TON). Symbols were first added to the Makaton programme in the 1980s.
Today over 100,000 children and adults use Makaton symbols and signs, either as their main method of communication or as a way to support speech. By using Makaton, children and adults can take a more active part in life, because communication and language are the key to everything we do and learn.
Whether you're a healthcare professional, a family member, or a friend, incorporating Makaton signs into your interactions can make a world of difference. It's about embracing diversity, showing kindness, and ensuring that everyone's voice is heard
To mark this special day, we're excited to share a video with you all, showcasing some valuable Makaton signs that you can easily learn and integrate into your caregiving routines.
If you would like more information about Makaton or to learn more signs, please visit their website: www.makaton.org
CONGRATULATIONS ABBIE AND ANDY
A massive congratulations to Abbie, our fabulous Healthcare Recruitment Consultant from our Worcestershire branch. Abbie married the lovely Andy on the 25th August. We hope you had the best time celebrating on your wedding day and we all wish you a long and happy marriage filled with lots of love and laughter.
With love from all of us at Alert Health 24!
BIRTHDAY COMPETITION
We are very excited to announce that the 2nd September marks Alert Health 24's Fourth birthday! We’re absolutely thrilled to meet this incredible milestone and to make this amazing occasion even more exciting we have decided to hold a competition on Facebook. Be sure to check it out and be in with a chance of winning a £150 Amazon voucher. Details of how to enter will be posted on our Facebook page on the 2nd September:
We hope you have a fantastic month ahead, from the Alert Health 24 team!