Meet Sorina

When Sorina came to England four years ago, she could never have imagined that a global pandemic would ultimately lead her to a complete change in career. After 12 years as a beauty therapist, she’s now working as a Community Care Assistant (CCA) with ECL and credits the job as having restored her hope and self-belief…

Becoming a CCA has been life-changing for me

In her native Romania, Sorina had spent 12 years developing a career as a beauty therapist before deciding to make the move to the UK to build on her experience. Unfortunately, not long after she arrived, the pandemic took hold and her plans were cast into doubt. During the challenging couple of years that followed, Sorina realised the importance of being able to access support when needed and resolved to find a job that would give her the chance to help people.

With this in mind, she was quick to apply for a CCA position with ECL when she came across an advert for care staff online, but nerves began to kick in when she was invited for an interview. “I struggle a bit with a lack of confidence, so I was a little worried about how the interview was going to go,” she says. “As it turned out, the team was so patient and kind that I soon felt completely at ease.”

Having overcome her initial apprehension, Sorina was over the moon when she was offered the job. She says, “I was overwhelmed, to be honest, and felt so many things all at once that I cried when they told me I’d been successful. For me, it was more than a job offer – it gave me hope and self-belief. Becoming a CCA has been life-changing for me.”

From the moment she walked through the doors, Sorina says she has been made to feel safe and supported by fellow CCAs, planners, and management alike. “It’s a bit of a cliché but ECL really is like a big family. Everyone has been so thoughtful and attentive – it makes the job that bit more enjoyable every day.”

While her team has been a huge part of smoothing the transition into care, the thing Sorina loves most about her new vocation is her customers. “The very best thing about it is seeing customers improve over time and knowing that you’ve played a part in that,” she says. “It makes me so happy to get to share in their success as they make progress and to be thanked for getting them there.”

She says, “Moving to a new country and living through the pandemic away from friends and family was very hard, but it made me realise that I am happiest when I’m helping people. The greatest reward for me has always been when I can put a smile on someone’s face, and now, as a CCA with ECL, I get to do that every day! This company offers so much more than just a job, so if you want to make a difference in people’s lives, ECL is the right place for you.”