A CARE worker from Renfrew is supporting a recruitment drive which calls on like-minded people to make a difference to the lives of others.

Isabel McCluskey, 59, is a team leader with Reablement – a care service that helps people recover from illness in their own home.

She has spoken about her work at a time when the Care at Home team from the Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership is looking to recruit 50 people to enhance the services it provides.

Isabel, who has worked for Reablement for 24 years, believes the support it offers is a lifeline for vulnerable people.

And she is hoping others will follow her career path.

Isabel said: “It’s a really good service to work for. There are a lot of great benefits and the fact that we help people makes a big difference to my life, as well as theirs.

“We’re working with people who are quite ill at the beginning and we can get them back to being independent again.”

Initially, Isabel started in care work as she wanted a job that she could fit around bringing up a young family but, after more than two decades in the service, she believes the rewarding nature of her role has shaped her as a person.

She added: “I started working for the team in 1992, caring mostly for older people over 65. It’s given me more confidence.

“The job has changed a lot since I joined. We do more personal care now and you get to know people a lot because you are closer to them.

“Working in Reablement, you see someone come out of hospital and they’re quite frail but, when you’re leaving after your visit, they are thanking you for everything you’ve done for them.

“The best part of my job is meeting different people, from different walks of life, and hearing the stories they tell you. It’s amazing the lives they’ve led.”

Care at Home workers receive a starting salary of £8.33 an hour, guaranteed working hours, a pension and access to comprehensive training.

Successful applicants will be trained to SVQ2 level in Health and Social Care, with permanent and temporary posts available.

You can apply by visiting my jobscotland.gov.uk/councils/ren frewshire-council or by calling 0300 300 0330.