Coronavirus: Peterborough care provider looks to recruit up to 50 staff

P J Care, which operates the Eagle Wood Neurological Care Centre, in Bretton Way, Bretton, is appealing for temporary workers to cover the roles of permanent staff who are in self-isolation as a precaution against Covid-19.

Chairman Neil Russell said: “Firstly, we must stress that we do not have any incidents of coronavirus in our care centre.

“However, because the welfare of our residents is paramount, we have asked staff to stay away from work if they feel unwell in any way.

“That has left us with a number of positions that we need to fill. We are looking for people who can start straight away.”

The business, which employs 500 staff across the Eagle Wood centre and two other centres in Milton Keynes, is looking to recruit between 40 and 50 temporary staff members.

While existing staff are working additional hours, Mr Russell said standards of care were not being affected.

Visitors to the Eagle Centre were stopped two weeks ago in a bid to avoid the spread of coronavirus with people only allowed entry in exceptional circumstances.

Mr Russell said: “We know there will be many people in Peterborough who were working in the hospitality industry, for example, who are now are facing financial uncertainty but have skills that we would welcome.

“We are interested to see nursery staff or anyone who has a health and social care qualification for our care positions.

“But you don’t have to have formal skills - the main thing is that you have care, compassion and commitment, so we’d like to hear from you if you’re a parent or an informal carer.

“The roles are flexible so they can fit into family life and while they are currently temporary, there’s also the possibility that a number of them could become permanent.

“We hope that some of the will to support healthcare services will extend to giving our residents the care, dignity and support they need.”

PJ Care provides specialist neurological care for people with conditions such as, Young and Early Onset dementia, Huntington’s disease and brain injuries.

It is recognised as one of the best employers in the healthcare sector with its specialist facilities and training ensuring a high quality care for extremely vulnerable adults. Most of their residents are under the age of 65 and need specialist nursing care.