About | And Wiser

I created my business to help people live well at home, as independently as possible, with or without carers. To give the whole family peace of mind that everything is in place. So that they can thrive, not just survive.

I've personally experienced some of the challenges involved. While juggling a full-time career with a young family, I did my best to support my elderly parents. When my father passed away, I helped my mother establish a new life for herself. I supported her through the process of learning how to manage without him, while she also navigated some serious health problems of her own.

I've now been working professionally in the care sector since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. Prior to that I worked for many years in the manufacturing sector, and I bring my problem-solving and process improvement skills to the work I do - providing care, support, and innovative solutions to help people live well at home.

My business is fully insured and I can provide references on request.

Checks, Registrations & Memberships

Current DBS check, registered with the annual renewal service (Enhanced with Barred Lists)(DBS is the Disclosure and Barring Service which was previously known as the CRB Criminal Records Bureau)

Registered Care Professional on the Voluntary Care Professional Register (VCPR)

Member of the National Association of Care & Support Workers (NACAS)

Training

Care Certificate based on the standards set by Health Education England, Skills for Care and Skills for Health

City & Guilds Assured Dementia Training Programme

Dementia Friend with the Alzheimers Society

As a Professional Care and Support Worker I keep all my training up to date and always work within my areas of competence.

Additional Information

I abide by the Values and Code of Ethics of NACAS and the Codes of Professional Practice and Ethics of the VCPR.

I serve as a Non-Executive Director on the Board of Directors for NACAS (the national professional body for care and support workers).

Additional information on my skills and experience from my career prior to joining the social care sector can be found on my LinkedIn profile.

Why 'And Wiser'?

I think everyone has heard the old saying 'older and wiser', but why did I choose just part of it for the name of my business?

The idea came partly from a fairly ordinary restaurant, but one with an unusual name that I've never forgotten.

Morpeth is now my home town, but going way back I lived for a while in the cathedral city of Durham. Nestled in amongst the cobbled streets there was a traditional old inn called the Victoria. One of those ancient establishments with real ale, open fires and cosy little back rooms. Hanging outside it was a typical old-fashioned inn sign depicting the regal Victoria in all her finery.

When a new restaurant opened up right across the street, the owners chose, quite wonderfully I thought, to call it the 'And Albert'. With an inn-style sign of Victoria's darling husband hanging outside the restaurant, Victoria, And Albert, gazed lovingly at each other across the cobbles.

I think the restaurant is long gone now, but at the time, whenever I walked by and saw the little joke which combined the names and locations of these two businesses, it always made me smile. So that's probably why it stuck.

This was part of what helped me create my own business name, but the main reason I chose the name 'And Wiser' is much more relevant to what I do for my clients.

It's all about ignoring the 'Older' bit (and all the potentially negative connotations of that word). Instead, it's about focusing on the positive, and it's about focusing on the person.

Yes you're older, but what else are you? This is where it gets interesting. Because 'Wiser' is just one possibility out of many. Being wiser is a good thing, but there are so many other ways to continue that sentence.... you could be 'happier', 'calmer', 'more confident', 'more patient', 'more understanding'. But what comes after the 'And' doesn't need to be a change. Perhaps you are what you've always been - Older and Sociable? Older and Active? Older and love the outdoors?

What you almost certainly are is more knowledgeable about yourself and what you want out of life. What you want to spend time on, and what you absolutely don't want to waste your precious time on.

These things can take most of a lifetime to work out. So when life becomes more challenging, this should not be the time to give it all up.

What I really love about my job is making it possible for people in later life to stay connected with what really matters to them. To stay connected to the people and the things that come after their own 'And'.

What I'm really good at, is working out what's important and finding innovative ways to break down the barriers that get in the way.

Yes, I'm older now too... AND, I know I'm really determined to do an excellent job... AND I really care about getting the best outcome for every one of my clients. Yes, sometimes when I work with clients we need to start by dealing with some of the more mundane aspects of life first, but that's not where we stop.

The end goal is to find out what comes after the 'And',

and

make it as good as it can possibly be.

If you'd like support, so you can thrive, not just survive, book a free initial consultation to discuss how I can help. I work in-depth with you, to discover what will really make a difference and identify practical solutions, improving quality of life and peace of mind.

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