Career changes lead to awards for two Norfolk carers

​A single mum and a retiree took up new careers in caring, and both have won an award for their work at a Norfolk care provider.

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Teresa Potter joined family run care company Extra Hands in March 2021, at the suggestion of her brother Mark, who was already working there.

​​It’s clearly a role that suits the 59-year-old from North Walsham, as she was nominated twice for the GEM Award, which recognises carers who ‘go the extra mile’ in helping and supporting service users.

And retiree Peter Bailey found a second career in caring when he joined the company’s Heacham office 12 years ago, after he retired from a role in human resources.

Miss Potter was praised by the wife of a service user who described her as ‘patient and chatty’ and said she was ‘definitely a GEM’, always making sure the service user ‘is comfortable and has everything he wants with him’.

“I had a phone call to say that I’d won, but I took the call when I was with someone and they asked me to ring back without saying why,” said Miss Potter, who works from the company’s Broadland office in Horsham St Faith. 

“I was wondering what the problem was and had all sorts of things going through my head, so it came as a total surprise when I heard I’d won the award. It didn’t sink in for quite a while – I just wasn’t expecting it.”

Mr  Bailey joined Extra Hands, established nearly 30 years ago, after taking early retirement from his job in HR, and was ‘astounded’ to be told he had won a GEM Award

“The assistant manager called me to let me know I’d won, and my reaction was: ‘What have I done now?’!” said the 65-year-old, who lives in Fakenham and works from the company’s Heacham office. 

“I was absolutely astounded, as I didn’t feel I’d done anything to deserve it – I’m only doing my job.  I’m just one carer in a team, and any one of them would have done the same as I did.”

His glowing nomination described Mr Bailey as a ‘rock’ and said: “I cannot praise Peter enough, he is so helpful with my husband and now takes care of me and takes a lot of worry off my shoulders.

“He says he is only doing his job, but he has been our rock, and I thank God for such a great carer.  I don’t know how we would have managed without him.”

Mr Bailey was in his previous role for 35 years before discovering his new vocation. He was retired for three months before realising he wasn’t quite ready to stop working.

“I saw the role at Extra Hands advertised, and thought I’d maybe stay for three or four years, and then retire – but here I am, 12 years later!”

Extra Hands provides a variety home care visit packages across Norfolk to suit all requirements.