Meet 23-year-old Megan Sharland, a CAREGiver with award winning home care provider Home Instead Exeter and East Devon. We asked Megan to give us some insight into her role and what motivates her as she provides care, companionship and support to local people in their own homes.

Hi, I'm Megan. I live in Brixington, Exmouth, and have worked in the care sector for seven years; joining Home Instead in October 2019. When I am not working I enjoy walking my three dogs, seeing family and friends and also doing brain teaser puzzles.

My career in care started with my level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care at Exeter college, aged 16 and I have worked in a range of care settings including children's nurseries, schools, residential care homes, hospitals and community care.

When I was 17, an elderly family member had a fall in her garden resulting in a broken wrist, broken nose and fractured eye socket. Consequently she was unable to fully tend to her personal care and administering medication became a struggle. I assisted with the aspects she was unable to do for herself, which she was very grateful for. She also appreciated my assistance with sorting her medication into the correct times of day and supporting her to manage her diabetes. While assisting my family member I realised this was the type of job that I would like to do.

When working in care homes I realised that I loved my job but I did not enjoy working in the care home environment. I realised that I wanted to make more of a difference to individual clients; doing what they want to do and enjoy, rather than just rushing around! Working with Home Instead has enabled me to do just this. I now support with personal care, home help and companionship which I really enjoy as my day is so varied. It now ranges from assisting clients to wash and dress, supporting with household jobs, even going out for lunch and exploring garden centres with clients- whatever it is that the client wants to do on that particular day.

Our clients visits are a minimum of one hour which makes such a big difference to us as CAREGivers and the clients too. This time enables us to chat with our clients as an individual, so we're able to get to know them and build relationships. This was one of the aspects that drew me to Home Instead in the first instance.

I work with a variety of different clients whose needs all vary. To ensure that I meet the needs of all individuals, I make sure that I get to know all clients personally, therefore I am able to understand my clients likes, dislikes and preferences.

I absolutely love my clients and the work I do with them. Their appreciation for all we do for them is incredible. I love to hear all their stories about what they have done throughout their lives and I really enjoy looking at their photographs and hearing the tales that go with them. I feel privileged when the clients share snippets of their lives with me. Recently, I have had conversations with many clients about the holidays that they have been on and chatted with a client about when he went to Buckingham Palace and had afternoon tea with the Queen!

My colleagues are so caring, we all do whatever we can to support each other. Us CAREGivers receive a lot of support from the office staff too. If we have any problems they are always there to sort it out straight away. We all work together so well as a team, and have a lovely working relationship.

As a CAREGiver, every day is different. The morning routine usually consists of supporting clients with their personal care and preparing breakfast, ensuring that all their needs are met. Mid-morning visits might involve transporting and accompanying clients who like to go out to the shops, cafes or out for lunch. Other days I might spend time with clients who like to sit and reminisce about their past over a cup of tea.

I enjoy all aspects of my working day, especially seeing the difference you're making to the client as an individual. I also assist clients with their housework which they always appreciate, particularly as it's one less thing on their mind that they have to worry about. In the evening I usually assist clients with meal preparation, assisting the client to cook whatever they would like. Later in the evening I often assist clients with their bedtime routine and personal care. Getting to the end of the day knowing what your help has meant to someone is such a lovely feeling.

I have learnt a number of different skills in my role as a CAREGiver such as the importance of empathy for your client's situation. I have also learnt the importance of good communication skills, which is critical as some of our clients are hard of hearing so may require other aids such as a white board or note book to ensure they can fully understand what we are saying to them and make informed choices. The benefits of this for the client can be huge.

My favourite part of being a CAREGiver is the difference that you can see that you are making to vulnerable people. Sometimes, all that they want is for someone to just sit with them and to listen to what they have to say. Just seeing that smile on their face can definitely make your day!

If you would like to know about current career opportunities with Home Instead, or you'd like more information on their care and support services you can contact them team on 01395 200600 or explore their website www.homeinstead.co.uk/eastdevon.