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So the care home shift went ok. The place wasn't too bad, they had chickens and a kind of allotment garden so that people could occupy themselves rather than sit around watching crappy day time tv and waiting to die. And yes that is what some of these places are like. The people generally have the best of intentions but there is just a lack of dignity. The food is generally hit and miss too. Heavy reliance on convenience foods, they're not bad, but because they are so cheap they tend to be full of salt, sugar and preserves: excess salt just what infirm people need... I made a soup at the last place, it was a revelation to them, tasty and full of flavour and cheap to make, but its easy to throw stones when you only do one shift and don't have to deal with the stuff that the regular staff have to deal with day in day out. And there lies another problem, the places are largely staffed by agencies so you have a situation where few people actually know what is going on. The most depressing thing is that we put our parents and loved ones in these places....

Had a third stage interview yesterday, the manager was wonderfully honest and frank, outlining the problems they had and  the hard work necessary, actually made me want the job more. I find out before the weekend. In the meantime I have another third stage to do for a branded chain. Problem is they have just called me there 2 hours earlier than scheduled. I cant make it. I worry about how they treat people, I did a working shift last week. I had to get up at 4.30am to travel to London for a 9.45 start. They then had me work a 6 hour shift because the person meeting me at 2.00pm was late, then after waiting a further 45 minutes the HR person finally showed. Seemed a shoddy way to carry on, and I wonder how I would be regarded if I was that late...I think we know the answer there.  I was turned down for my other application, gutted, of course that was the one I was gunning for.

More decisions.....