New caregiver jobs to be created in Waterford

Ireland’s leading home care provider, Dovida, is hiring more caregivers in Waterford to meet increasing demand for home care in the community, with both rural and urban positions available.

A spokesperson for the business said the new roles will be a mix of flexible and fixed-hour positions designed to suit a variety of people, depending on their circumstances and availability.

He said the business is encouraging applications from people from diverse backgrounds, and new caregivers will undergo a comprehensive training and onboarding process. Dovida offers caregivers the opportunity to choose their hours around what best suits their lifestyle. 

The company also offers fixed-hour contracts with a minimum of 25 hours guaranteed per week, however, full-time positions are also available and people in receipt of social welfare can also apply to work a set number of hours, depending on the type of support they receive.

Dovida caregivers provide vital home support to people in their communities, which allows them to remain in their own home and connected to their family and friends. 

The majority of the company’s clients are over 65 years of age, however, Dovida is increasingly providing support to younger people living with a disability.

“We currently have high demand for home support in Waterford, and we’re hoping our new caregivers can help us keep more people safe, well and independent in their own homes across the county,” said Steven Tubbritt, General Manager of Dovida Waterford.

Latest figures compiled by Home and Community Care Ireland (HCCI), an organisation representing Ireland’s independent home care providers, showed there were 574 people on a waiting list for HSE Home Support Services across the region CHO 5 (Carlow/Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford) last year. 

With the population of over-65s projected to double by 2051, demand for home support and caregivers will continue to rise and Mr Tubbritt said flexibility is a key component of Dovida's caregivers.

“Our caregivers are a broad church; we have people who fit their work around family, other work, or study commitments, we have people who have retired and want to do something in retirement to give back to their community that also fits into their lifestyle, and we also have people who work with us providing care full-time," he said.

“A lot of people who come to us have had previous experience caring for a family member and have realised this is something they have a passion for," he added.

He also said there are opportunities for career progression: “We have caregivers who have moved into office support roles, such as scheduling and operations. We have some people who have started out as caregivers and worked all the way up to General Manager."

"But we also have people who worked in the office and moved into caregiving roles," he said.

"Success has many faces, and it’s all about what suits you best. If you want to build a career in care, Dovida is the place to do it," he added.

Dovida welcomes applications from experienced health care professionals as well as those new to care and is committed to supporting them every step of the way. 

Those interested in pursuing a rewarding career in care can visit https://dovida.ie/career/become-a-caregiver/ or call 051 333966.