UK's top care home handyman takes residents to pub for pie and pint

A care home handyman, who takes the residents out to the pub for a pie and pint, has been named as the UK’s top care home ancillary worker.

Chris Sorgorski, a maintenance technician for a care home in Blyth, Northumberland, was praised for the “hard work and person-centered approach he takes to his job”.

He told carehome.co.uk: “I’ve only been working at The Oaks Care Home for a couple of years, but I love it. I always want to make the residents happy because it’s their home.”

'We have a good laugh together and it sets me up for the day.'

Now an ex self-employed builder, Chris, 46, decided to change his career two and a half years ago. “I became fed-up of working away from home and travelling so much.” So, when Chris visited his grandad, who had dementia for 12 years, his mind was made up. “When I went to see my grandad, I loved the way the staff cared for him, then a job advert came up and it made sense to apply for it,” he says.

Chris really enjoys coming to The Oaks Care Home: “When I walk in, I go through the lounge to take my coat off and speak to all the ladies who are up having breakfast. We have a good laugh together and it sets me up for the day.”

Even though his main duty is general maintenance, he goes out of his way to assist wherever he can: “I am a kitchen assistant as and when I’m needed as well as a care assistant if short-staffed. I work my normal hours 8 am ‘til 4 pm, then I work as a care assistant from 4 pm ‘til 8 pm.”

As if this is not enough Chris also takes residents to appointments outside of the home and runs a gentleman’s club once a month where he will take the residents for a pie and a pint at the local pub or a cup of tea. Chris says: “It gives them a chance to talk and come up with ideas.

“I love the fact I am not just a handyman but a member of the team and love taking part in the activities,” he says.

But his hard work and support for the home does not stop there as Chris “loves improving the building” and plans to “turn the grounds into a woodland walk on one side and have a beach theme place where the residents can go and have fish and chips.”

'Chris is a hugely important member of the team.'

Chris is currently planning to make planters for residents in wheelchairs, so they have better access to gardening. The Oaks Care home wants to get four chickens for the residents to feed so Chris will soon be busy building a coop. Chris embraces any challenges that come his way, saying: “My duties change every day. You never know what is going to go wrong and what needs to be fixed, but I take it in my stride.

“Something always happens or breaks, everything is used 24/seven. Every button, every toilet is used constantly, and I keep on top of it all the time. Any problems the company is there for replacement and regional maintenance manager who can sort things out.”

He would recommend his job to anyone “especially the fact that Hill Care let me be with the residents as well as completing all my other duties.”

In terms of qualities that are needed for this job, he says: “Patience, organisation, social skills, knowledge and experience of the building trade and maintenance and, of course, a caring nature.”

Wendy Waddicor, managing director of the Hill Care Group, said: “We are all so proud of Chris for winning The Ancillary Worker Award at The Great British Care Awards. It is testament to the hard work and person-centered approach he takes to his job, which is a reflection of the entire team at The Oaks Care Home.

“They are all dedicated to ensuring residents receive the highest level of care in the best possible environment and Chris is a hugely important member of the team.”

carehome.co.uk lists a huge range of jobs for people wanting to work in the care sector. To look for a job click here (https://www.carehome.co.uk/jobs/).

click here for more details or to contact The Oaks Care Home