From Customer Service to Care: Taking on New Challenges During Covid-19

Claudia Fielding worked in customer service prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. The wine bar she worked at was forced to close in March 2020 due to the lockdown. Claudia was not initially included on the Government furlough scheme as she had only recently started her role there.
 
Knowing she needed to find work, Claudia began looking online and saw that Bluebird Care Docklands, Stratford and Wapping were recruiting.
 
She said: “Care was always something I had been interested in. I have an uncle with disabilities, so I have always had the desire to help vulnerable people. Now it is more important than ever.”
 
Claudia found the communications skills she had developed throughout her career in customer service were crucial in her new role at Bluebird Care. She is comfortable with talking to people and confident in dealing situations as they arise. Claudia has been assisting customers with their domestic tasks such as shopping and cleaning. She has been a fantastic companion to many of her customers throughout this difficult time.
 
Bluebird Care Docklands, Stratford and Wapping were asked if they had a Care Assistant who would be able to voice the Government’s Test and Trace radio campaign. Claudia has extensive experience in performing arts, having worked at Disneyland Paris and Lapland UK.
 
She said: “This was such a fantastic opportunity, I never thought I would be doing this a few months ago. I felt like a celebrity going into the studio, it was so professional.
 
“This campaign was so important to me. I really believe we all need to follow the guidelines to ensure we all maximise protection from this virus for ourselves and one another.”
 
Claudia is proud of the job she has done and continues to find her work very rewarding. When asked if she would recommend care to other people who are looking for work, Claudia said:
 
“Short answer-yes. It does definitely take a certain kind of person to work in care and you must be happy with what you are doing. If you are not happy, it will be difficult to provide high quality care to others. However, it is a very rewarding career.
 
“Care is always going to be needed - caring for vulnerable people is essential. Day to day everything takes you by surprise and you must be adaptable.
 
“You never know where you will end up. I think it never hurts to try.”
 
Anoop Sekhon, Managing Director of Bluebird Care Docklands, Stratford and Wapping said:
 
“Claudia has been a wonderful addition to our team the past few months. She has worked so hard and helped support her customers at this difficult time. It is lovely to see how skills from other industries can be so transferable to the care sector. We want to encourage anyone who is thinking about a career in care to get in contact with us for more information.”