Acts of Kindness: Jennie's Story

We talk to Bluebird Care assistant Jennie about people performing acts of kindness in care, and ask her to share her own acts of kindness stories.

It takes a special kind of person to work in care. Those that do are full of stories of people performing acts of kindness – whether it’s the extra miles they’ve gone themselves to help customers, or those of other people they’ve met in their role.

Care Assistant Jennie is one such person. Returning to care in her 60s having previously worked in the industry part-time in her 20s, she’s been with us since January 2022 and has already played her part in making many customers’ lives better.

“I have to say I don’t really think about the things I do as ‘acts of kindness,’ says Jennie. “They’re just things you do as part of being a carer. But, there are a few examples I can think of where that care comes through more than others.

“For instance, one of my customers has to have gluten-free food but she doesn’t have a great relationship with food. She’ll often only eat two meals a day and I’m always looking to vary her diet. The only other thing she’ll eat or drink is a cup of tea with two biscuits! I recently took her in some gluten-free Victoria sponge cakes. When it comes to random acts of kindness stories I think it’s those little things you do like that really; caring enough to encourage your customer to do something new that might be good for them.

“I have another customer who desperately needed some trousers. She was on her last pair and hadn’t got anyone to go shopping for her. I’ve got a friend who deals with buying and selling clothes so I asked her if she had any that would fit this lady, then took them over and my customer was happy as punch!

“Personally, as a carer I go with the situation. If a customer is upset about something and I can rectify that for them, as long as it’s within company guidelines, I will. For instance, one customer had a new skirt but it got really crumpled and she was really upset and worked up about it. I said “let me take it home and I’ll get it back to you in a couple of days. I washed it, dried it and steam pressed it and took it back as soon as I could. She was over the moon.

“Many of our care assistants do the same, whether it’s taking in a piece of freshly-cooked cheesecake for a customer you know will love it, or taking a little more time to see with a customer who’s particularly lonely and maybe hasn’t seen anyone for a few days. Sometimes I actually go in to see a customer 15 minutes early just to chat and have a cup of tea with them, just so I can have the chat they need and still get all of the things done that I need to for them.

“I don’t think you can be a care assistant without having that kind of kindness. It’s not always an easy job, it can be demanding and you deal with all sorts of challenges and medical conditions. But the reward is when you come away at the end of your shift and you’ve made a difference, you’ve changed something for your customer or you’ve done something kind to make their day.”

Are you a kind and caring sort of person?

If so, you might make a brilliant Bluebird – and we’d love to hear from you!

See out our open Worthing care assistant roles and get in touch with us if you have any questions.

Want to know more about life in social care? Check out the blogs below.

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• Acts of Kindness: Lauren’s Story
• What’s it Like to Become a Carer?
• What Type of People Work in Care?
• What Training Do Carers Receive?
• Five Surprisingly Big Benefits of Working in Social Care
• Why Carers Are Needed Now More Than Ever