Leading Herts home-care provider partners with charity to fund year-long counselling for a young person

As part of its new partnership with Youth Talk, Abbots Care is highlighting the value that young carers such as 19-year-old Madeline Turner, who joined the homecare provider straight after completing her A levels, bring to the sector, and how caring for others can benefit a young person’s own wellbeing and sense of self.

Sarah Hurley, Care Director, said: “The state of the adult social care sector and workforce in England report shows that only 9% of the workforce in domiciliary care are aged under 25 years, and there are around 111,000 vacancies across the sector in 2024/25, so it’s clear that more people are needed, and young workers can play a key role in filling that gap.

“We have found that working in the care sector can be extremely rewarding for young people. We have countless examples of young people who have really found not only their vocation in working in the care sector but have discovered that it has really benefited their own sense of self and their mental health has dramatically improved.

“Madeline Turner is a fantastic example of a young person who is already making a huge difference to people’s lives as a care assistant at Abbots Care. She joined the team straight after finishing her A-levels and, in just over a year, has already progressed to become a round leader, which means that she supervises a specific ‘round,’ or a set of home visits, for a team of care workers. This sort of progression in such a short time is remarkable.”

Talking about why she decided to train as a home-care worker with Abbots Care, Madeline said: “I used to look after my next-door neighbour, who was a client at Abbots Care. While I was popping in and helping her out where I could, I could see the carers' work first hand and realised that I would want to help change people’s lives for the better and help them live independently.

“Since starting my career in care, it has made me much more empathetic and has opened my eyes to a community of people that not everyone gets to see. Being 19 years old and starting in care, it has matured me as a person, and I feel a lot more responsible than typical people that are my age.”

Recent research has found that there is a link between carrying out activities that bring joy to other people and alleviating symptoms of depression in young people. A study conducted by a team at University of Reading of 429 young people aged 16-25 found that helping young people find meaning in their lives could be key to treating one of the most challenging symptoms of depression: Anhedonia, which is the loss of interest and pleasure – a core symptom of depression.

Professor Ciara McCabe, who led the research, said that “carrying out activities for the benefit of others – what we call prosocial behaviours – can have a powerful effect. They contribute to a robust sense of meaning, which in turn reduces the severity and impact of anhedonia”.

Jim Lewis, fundraising and partnerships manager at Youth Talk, applauded Madeline for pursuing a career in care. “This is such an uplifting story about Madeline and her reasons for joining the care sector at such a young age and how she manages her care for others while navigating her own journey into adulthood. When communities come together to support young people, in this case Abbots Care and Youth Talk, we remind them that their own wellbeing matters just as much as the wellbeing they deliver to others. We are so incredibly grateful to Abbots Care for their continued support of Youth Talk, giving other young people the strength and courage to find meaningful purpose in life, like Madeline.’’

Looking after the mental wellbeing of its staff has been a huge focus for Abbots Care. Camille developed the Abbots Care wellbeing app, which was designed in response to the isolation many experienced during the pandemic. The app connects a remote workforce of more than 600 people, improving communication, motivation, and company culture.

The home-care provider also runs an Employee Assistance Programme 24/7, which offers confidential advice and support on personal challenges including bereavement, divorce, and financial issues, and has two dedicated care worker liaison officers, who support the care teams to ensure they feel valued, confident, and equipped to deliver the best possible care.