Carer has no time to retire - and is a real GEM

A happy phone manner and can-do attitude have helped win a Norfolk carer a special award for Going the Extra Mile.

Jackie Wood has worked at the county’s Extra Hands Home Care since 2009, and last year she took up a new post in the Broadland office of the company to work as a recruitment officer.


And life has been very hectic over the last few weeks with induction courses for new-starters regularly running.


“It’s been a bit hectic really, but I love it,” said Jackie, of Horsford, who has won the company Going the Extra Mile (GEM) award for the Broadland office.


Still working full-time despite being eligible for a state pension, Jackie says she wouldn’t have it any other way and she really enjoys her role and working with the team at the Horsham St Faith office.


“I am really happy here and could have retired last year, but I love doing this job,” she said.


She was nominated for the award by a family member of a service user who said she always sounds happy and ‘so very polite.’


“It’s a joy to chat to her. I’m usually asking her very last minute to arrange carers for Dad when we have impromptu trips to run with. She is always positive that she can find someone to help him. 


“I know she’s not on the carers team, however, I feel she is caring for both myself and my dad by how she makes me feel and how she does her utmost to get dad his morning shower, for his own well-being and mine too,” said the nomination.


Jackie said she was delighted to have won the award a little over a year since swapping her frontline care role and moving into the office where she also helps the training manager with the flow of new recruits.


Married to Stephen the couple have a son, Jamie, who lives in Norwich. They also have a puppy cavapoo Poppy who will be one in April and is just about over the ‘chewing-up the house’ stage of her life.


“I really wouldn’t have things any other way,” said Jackie.