A mother of two from Norwich is celebrating ten years of caring for others in the city.
Julie Stafford, 60, has spent the past decade caring for elderly and vulnerable people locally through her role as a caregiver at Home Instead Norwich.
Ms Stafford first joined the home care company in March 2011, having no prior experience in care.
The franchise had only been set up for about a year at the time after it was launched by owners Chris and Akie Carter. Ms Stafford has remained there ever since.
She had previously worked as a publishing assistant before having her children, but after they grew up and reached their teenage years, she began looking for a new role and challenge and stumbled upon Home Instead.
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She said the role offered her "a wealth of flexibility and independence", as well as the chance to learn something new and really make a difference in people's lives.
She added: “I was very nervous when I first started, as I had never worked in care before, but from my very first shift I knew it was where I was supposed to be.
"I have loved it from the very start, and I can’t imagine doing anything else. From day one I was learning as I was working, which I loved - it is never boring.
“One thing I particularly love about being a Home Instead caregiver is the effort they go to match clients with caregivers.
"It allows the client to receive the best possible care from someone who has similar interests and knows how to meet the individual’s needs.
"Not only that, it allows caregivers to form a strong bond and relationship with their clients, reinforced by the fact that visits are at least an hour, which makes going to work even more enjoyable.
"It’s like going to visit a friend in their home.
“My ten years at Home Instead have flown by, as it has been such a pleasurable role from which I get a really rewarding feeling, knowing I am helping people every day.
"I’m excited for the next ten years.”
Ms Stafford was presented with a bunch of flowers and teddy bear as a mark of her dedication to her clients - a role she still takes as seriously today as she did all those years ago.
And while the support offered varies from person to person, she can usually be found helping individuals with things from personal care and meal preparation, to light housekeeping, as well as providing much-needed companionship.
Owner of Home Instead Norwich, Mr Carter, described working alongside Ms Stafford for the past 10 years as "an absolute pleasure".
"Her dedication to her clients and her desire to help others shines through the work she does every day, and we are proud to have her in our team," he said.
"She is a glowing example of what we look for in a caregiver, and we are so happy to have such a strong, caring ambassador on our team.”
Home Instead Norwich, which employs more than 100 members of staff, provides care enabling the elderly to remain living at home for as long as possible.
Mr Carter added: “We take time to care, both for our clients and our caregivers, and are committed to providing safe and comfortable environments for people to work in.”
The franchise also celebrated its own milestone recently, marking its 10-year anniversary on February 1. They have helped more than 1,000 clients during that time.
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