There is a perception that home care is a sector in which skills are lacking and some services are unreliable, that it is an industry with few benefits, low wages, irregular work schedules and questionable contracts, where workers are undervalued and under-qualified.
At Hibernia, we want to turn that perception on its head and completely transform how home care is viewed, converting it into not just a better, safer place to work, but a more rewarding industry in which to forge a career. Our plan to achieve this lies in being as focused on our team members and carers as we are on our clients and the people we care for. The home care workplace that Hibernia envisions is one built on compassion, understanding, courage and commitment.
High-quality training
That commitment begins in developing the core competence and skills of our team members through ongoing training programmes. We’ve made significant investment in our Hibernia Academy for Care – our physical training centre – where Hibernia provides carers with training and QQI-accredited courses. We have also created a clinical skills lab to help our team members develop their practical skills. Each of our team members also works on an individual level with our Director of Clinical Governance and Education to create and manage their career development pathway.
As the saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats. And that is why we at Hibernia are currently working with the home care representative body to improve the training being provided in further education colleges, helping to improve quality and professionalise the home care sector as a whole.
We only employ qualified staff
No two days are the same in our industry and we never know what challenges we may face. Members of our team need to have trust and know they can rely on each other in any situation. Employing unskilled workers or staff without proper training ends up putting more pressure on the rest of the care team or lowers our impeccable standards of care for clients. Neither of these are an option to us. That is why we at Hibernia concentrate on employing QQI-accredited, trained team members. Where we do see potential in an under-qualified candidate, we provide them with best-in-class, intensive training via our Skills Hub to bring them up our standard.
Hibernia offers stable contracts
In an industry all about care, it’s just absurd to show a lack of care to the very people we employ to provide it. At Hibernia there is no such thing as zero-hour contracts. Full-time or part-time, each of our team members has a clear picture of their hours and income each week.
One-third of our home care team are contracted for 40 hours weekly. Another third is contracted for 30 hours per week, while the remaining third works between 15-20 hours per week. This provides, what we believe, industry-leading stability and consistency for both Hibernia care team members and clients. Our schedulers work with carers to suit their availability and maintain flexibility.
Hibernia pays home care staff a generous travel allowance and provide health benefits to our carers. These include access to a 24-hour online GP service, cover for private accident and emergency departments, scans and lab tests, and access to consultants, counsellors and other health professionals such as physiotherapists. We see ensuring the good health and wellbeing of our carers as vital.
We put our carers first
Delivering an unparalleled standard of care means paying our home care staff unrivalled pay rates. There is a clear and transparent pay scale for experienced carers at Hibernia. Our most experienced carers are paid up to an industry-leading €17 per hour based on Monday-Friday office hours, with premium pay rates for evening, Saturday and Sunday work.
We match employee pension contributions by up to 5%, and provide private health insurance, and death-in-service benefits (paid at twice the employee’s annual salary). We also provide a comprehensive employee assistance programme that includes counselling, financial advice, legal advice, lifestyle coaching and access to a digital gym.
Hibernia wants to see you grow
Our culture champions honesty, encourages ownership, and creates trust between home care staff and carers. The health and wellbeing of our carers matter as much to us as that of our clients. That’s why we provide attractive salaries and benefits, good work-life balance, ongoing training and development, predictable hours of work, open support and communication.
At Hibernia, we listen to the opinions and feedback of our team to make better decisions by them. By putting our carers first and doing what is best for them, we will provide better care for our clients.
