We spoke to 30-year-old Arpa, a self-employed healthcare assistant living in Edinburgh, Scotland. Originally from Kolkata in West Bengal, India, Arpa began working in care after completing a Master’s degree in biomedical science in the UK. In this article, she talks about her experience being self-employed, what she loves most about her job and how FuturU is supporting her.
What’s it like being self-employed?
I’ve been working as a self-employed healthcare assistant since February 2023 and I usually work around 25-30 hours a week. Before that, I spent over a year working as a healthcare assistant through an agency. I found this more challenging, as I’d have to travel a lot between clients and never found I had enough time to talk to them. That’s why I wanted to become self-employed, as I can be more flexible with how much time I spend with my clients and I’m not in a rush. I also have time to pursue my own hobbies outside of work.
How easy is it to find work?
I’ve created a profile on an online care platform, which includes all my experience and training and matches me with relevant clients. I share testimonials from previous clients to showcase that I’m a compassionate and competent healthcare worker. At the moment I’m looking after three clients, who suffer from different conditions including multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, Parkinson’s and Dementia. I support them with socialisation, personal care, engaging in activities, cooking and tidying up their home.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I like spending time with my clients and getting to know them. Two of my clients are in their seventies and they have a lot of life experience. I enjoy hearing about their work and family life, stories about their holidays and what they’ve achieved. I’m motivated to come to work every single day and be a part of their story. Even though they’ve got certain physical or mental difficulties, they always have this confidence and enthusiasm to live their life to the full.
What were you doing before working in care?
I came to the UK from India in 2019 to study a Master’s degree in biomedical science. During the Covid-19 lockdown, I had to get a part-time job and I picked up a support worker role through an agency. In 2022, I started a completely new role as a lab analyst in a Covid lab, thanks to my background in bioscience. However, that ended when all the Covid test centres closed, which is why I rejoined the care sector last year.
What’s been your experience of using FuturU?
I like that there are so many courses. I feel like I’m always learning and upgrading my knowledge, especially if there are new advancements that I need to stay up-to-date with. Using FuturU has given me the confidence to tell my clients’ family members that they’re in safe hands. I can show them my certificates and prove that I have immediate knowledge about a particular condition or ailment, which gives them confidence in my abilities.
How have FuturU’s courses helped you?
The training has helped me to understand different conditions like Parkinson’s a lot better and helped me feel more prepared. For example, knowing that a client’s way of thinking might change quickly and how behaviours can differ from one person to another. Especially with conditions like Parkinson’s, it’s important to be patient, give people time and not force them to do anything they don’t want to.
What excites you most about learning?
Because of my research background and studies, I’m always interested in hearing about new treatments for conditions like Parkinson’s and Dementia. I particularly enjoy reading scientific papers on how medical treatments and therapies have been progressing.
Would you recommend FuturU to others?
I would definitely recommend FuturU. As well as all the courses that help you care for other people, there’s also a lot of content that helps you to take care of your own mental health. For example, I like that there are articles and tips on nutrition, diet and meditation. FuturU recognises that it’s not just about taking care of your client, but also about taking care of yourself so you can take care of the client. The modules also don’t have a time limit so you can devote your time to it whenever you’re free.
