A new career awaits...

When you first meet Mhari Russell, you’d be surprised to find out that, for many years, she lacked the confidence needed to maintain permanent employment.

Now, she’s been a finalist for a Young Achiever Award and feels like she’s finally found her calling as a care assistant.

Mhari, 24, has been an employee at Balhousie Clement Park Care Home in Dundee for nearly two years.

She began her career after taking part in a joint initiative between Balhousie Care Group and the Prince’s Trust Scotland.

“It was the first time I’d done something like this so I was a little nervous at the beginning,” says Mhari.

The five-week Get into Care programme provides the opportunity to gain vital skills and experiences to begin a career in care and includes a placement at one of Balhousie Care Group’s care homes.

Mhari was first introduced to the Prince’s Trust Scotland by a friend in 2014.

“I’d really struggled with my confidence and it meant that I hadn’t been able to properly hold a job for about three years,” she said.

“I’d got to the point where I didn’t really care anymore, I couldn’t see what I wanted to do with my life and that made things really difficult for me.”

She found herself on a 12-week team course, working on community projects and building up her self-esteem and confidence, while learning what it takes to work in a team.

She then went on to join the Get Into Care programme, which gives students formal training along with an in-depth understanding of what a care assistant role entails.

A career in care was something Mhari had always considered.

“My mum, gran and auntie all work in the care industry so it was there in the back of mind that I could do that too.

“I just didn’t have the confidence or knew whether I had the skills to be able to do it, that’s why the Get Into Care course was such a big help.”

“I learned so much in the five weeks, all about moving and handling residents and the National Care Standards.

“The placement was my favourite part. It meant that we could put all of our learning into practice and see what the care environment was really like.”

At the end of the programme, Balhousie Clement Park home manager, Margaret Stephen, was so impressed with Mhari that she offered her a permanent position as a care assistant within the home.

Mhari was recently named as an Oral Hygiene Champion, someone who monitors and promotes good oral hygiene, and was nominated by Margaret to become one of Balhousie Clement Park’s dedicated dementia ambassadors and is currently completing her Promoting Excellence in Dementia Care modules.

“Driving excellence in dementia care is a real focus here at Clement Park and Mhari is playing a huge part in helping us achieve that,” said Margaret.

Mhari is now looking forward to the future.

“I’ve got big ambitions. I’m doing my SVQ2 in Health and Social Care and hope to go to university to get my nursing qualification.”

One scheme within the home that Mhari really engaged with was an intergenerational project with pupils from Harris Academy and St John’s High School.

The initiative invited young, disengaged pupils to Clement Park to build on their skills, knowledge, confidence, responsibility and has empowered them to contribute to their communities.

“I think, because I could understand their situation and how they were feeling, I really connected with some of them,” she says. The project, which is ongoing, was recognised at the Scottish Care Awards 2015.

Late last year, Mhari was a finalist in the Prince’s Trust Scotland Young Achiever of the Year Awards, which celebrates the success of young people getting into employment, training or education and overcoming substantial barriers to transform their lives.

Mhari Russell has thrived at Balhousie Clement Park Care Home in Dundee.