Special Needs Support Worker Needs Work in Helsinki

[TINA720]

Hi from London

I am a mature Support Worker from London & I am looking for the role of a Carer in Finland, Helsinki or neighbouring towns/cities. I hear that there is a need for more Care Homes in Finland is this true?
I would like someday to open a Care Home, but in the meantime I would like to seek position for a Carer within a home for the Elderly or those with Special Needs. I have training certificates. I also have a few years experience in the Care Field. I have worked with Alzheimers, Autism, Parkinsons Disease clients, Piks Disease and Down Syndrome.

I am currently self employed with a small business here in UK. But would like to further my horizons and take on more challenging roles. I have worked with BUPA, UK's leading Health Care Specialists. So I have all the experience needed for a Care Home Environment.

I can give more information and more details if anyone is interested in contacting me, I would love to hear from you all. Please contact me here on the forum, or otherwise by email. Many thanks.

Justina

justina720@hotmail.co.uk

[interleukin]

There´s certainly a need for people to take care of the sick and elderly (for !"#¤% pay). I assume you know either Finnish or Swedish already, without that I´m not sure how you plan to communicate with an old Finn that has Alzheimer´s.

[TINA720]

Interleukin...Thanks, a valid point, since my Finnish stops @ Mitta Kuuluu, if I have spelt it right. I presumed that most finns spoke basic English. But yes I have already considered learning the Language as I intend to support the country & not to be supported. I don't believe in handouts. So I have already started taking lessons, & hope by the time I have acquired a job position I would be atleast speaking passable finnish. The pay isn't what worries me, because believe or not, UK also has ...Crappy pay for Health Care Work. Sad really when you think it is the most challenging roles of work. But Care Roles generally aren't well paid. I am only interested in the Care Role for a temporary position until I can establish my own.

[Upphew]

Interleukin...Thanks, a valid point, since my Finnish stops @ Mitta Kuuluu, if I have spelt it right.

Maybe you need a hang out in the Kielikoulu section here... "Measure belongs/is heard" wasn't the meaning you were after?

I presumed that most finns spoke basic English.

Being able doesn't mean that they are willing. And the percentage that has lived with MTV isn't suffering from Alzheimer yet. Older than MTV generation and the exposure to English is quite limited.

But yes I have already considered learning the Language as I intend to support the country & not to be supported. I don't believe in handouts. So I have already started taking lessons, & hope by the time I have acquired a job position I would be atleast speaking passable finnish.

Good luck. The thing that will work against you is that people know English: they will cringe when they hear you trying to communicate in Finnish and switch to English.

The pay isn't what worries me, because believe or not, UK also has ...Crappy pay for Health Care Work. Sad really when you think it is the most challenging roles of work. But Care Roles generally aren't well paid. I am only interested in the Care Role for a temporary position until I can establish my own.

Care roles won't generate money. The customers won't pay and many times won't be able to complain.

Don't limit yourself to temporary positions, if you happen to stumble upon steady one. Finding work in Finland without Finnish is quite like finding job in England without English, maybe harder.

[TINA720]

Interleukin...Thanks, a valid point, since my Finnish stops @ Mitta Kuuluu, if I have spelt it right.

Maybe you need a hang out in the Kielikoulu section here... "Measure belongs/is heard" wasn't the meaning you were after?

Lol! Upphew..I was meant to say 'How are you', well, that was the translation for it. Mitta Kuuluu is not 'How are you?' Lol, I really need to study hard.

I presumed that most finns spoke basic English.

Being able doesn't mean that they are willing. And the percentage that has lived with MTV isn't suffering from Alzheimer yet. Older than MTV generation and the exposure to English is quite limited.

Ya I know this for sure, since even the French also want to play hardball when it comes to speaking English, the English Language gets a hard time sometimes. Yes I get your point. I have just spoken to an Agency who are willing to find me a job, Its within the Health & Social Sector. Learning finish would be a must. As you read earlier, I am learning Finnish & will continue to do so. So that should not be a negative.

But yes I have already considered learning the Language as I intend to support the country & not to be supported. I don't believe in handouts. So I have already started taking lessons, & hope by the time I have acquired a job position I would be atleast speaking passable finnish.

Good luck. The thing that will work against you is that people know English: they will cringe when they hear you trying to communicate in Finnish and switch to English.

Hahaha!! Well, it would be laughs on me all around, & it makes for good & light conversation at times. There is nothing more funny than to watch someone bury themselves in bad lingo. Good humour goes a long way.

The pay isn't what worries me, because believe or not, UK also has ...Crappy pay for Health Care Work. Sad really when you think it is the most challenging roles of work. But Care Roles generally aren't well paid. I am only interested in the Care Role for a temporary position until I can establish my own.

Care roles won't generate money. The customers won't pay and many times won't be able to complain.

Don't limit yourself to temporary positions, if you happen to stumble upon steady one. Finding work in Finland without Finnish is quite like finding job in England without English, maybe harder.

Totally! Thank you for your advise...it was most helpful. I will definitely consider all points before making a final decision. Breaking new grounds is always challenging. Nothing is unachievable! A little determination, sense of humour and a lot of courage, most things are achieved. I would not let language barrier be a block to success!! Just as any other foreigner would feel when making a new life overseas. This works not just for the British, for my friends who live in Ireland from Finland, & any other nationals.

[interleukin]

I presumed that most finns spoke basic English.

Yeah, but the old won´t to the same extent, and a foreign language is also the first thing to go when you get a bit of memory loss. Also, getting care in a foreign language and explaining important/embarrassing/private things in English is not going to be so much fun for your clients.

Have you considered other parts of the country besides the Helsinki area? I was thinking that Swedish is going to be much easier for you to learn than Finnish, so going for the Swedish-speaking western coast may be something.

[TINA720]

I presumed that most finns spoke basic English.

Yeah, but the old won´t to the same extent, and a foreign language is also the first thing to go when you get a bit of memory loss. Also, getting care in a foreign language and explaining important/embarrassing/private things in English is not going to be so much fun for your clients.

Have you considered other parts of the country besides the Helsinki area? I was thinking that Swedish is going to be much easier for you to learn than Finnish, so going for the Swedish-speaking western coast may be something.

Thanks once again for your suggestion, much appreciated. But I think I have twice mentioned that I am learning Finnish. I love the Finnish Language, & find the pronunciations easier than Swedish or even Dutch, since I have travelled to Holland many times, as I own a small business there. So Finnish would be far less a challenge. I have managed to set a business in Holland without speaking Dutch, once again all things are possible. I will do what I need to do to achieve, I don't need to speak finnish immediately to set up a Care Home of my Own. ~~Thanks once again.

[interleukin]

Yes, you mentioned that you are learning Finnish. But it typically takes five years for people to get good enough at Finnish to try their hand at ordering a meal at McDonalds in Finnish, so I´m just wondering if you are completely realistic about the time it takes. Not trying to insult you, it´s just that a simple search of this forum will yield you a bunch of "I´m gonna learn Finnish", followed by "why don´t they even reply when I ask for a job, my Finnish is not great but it´s getting better", followed (years later) by "my Finnish is 80% perfect and people still don´t hire me due to the language. I´m moving back home".
This compared to becoming semi-fluent in Swedish in a year.

[TINA720]

Yes, you mentioned that you are learning Finnish. But it typically takes five years for people to get good enough at Finnish to try their hand at ordering a meal at McDonalds in Finnish,

Hmm...Well sorry to say but you can't compare ordering a meal at mcdonalds to having a full on conversation with someone, its two very different scenarios...so you may have to readjust your thinking on that one. Secondly, some are fast learners and some are slow learners. Lets be positive and think that not everyone is like ourselves. We all learn at different rates.

so I´m just wondering if you are completely realistic about the time it takes. Not trying to insult you, it´s just that a simple search of this forum will yield you a bunch of "I´m gonna learn Finnish", followed by "why don´t they even reply when I ask for a job, my Finnish is not great but it´s getting better", followed (years later) by "my Finnish is 80% perfect and people still don´t hire me due to the language. I´m moving back home".

I am sorry that it didn't work out for you. Everyone has different experiences. If you speak to others, I am sure they will say that theyre experiences of speaking the finnish language and getting a job is very different from anothers. It doesn't always pan out negatively, some have very positive experiences. Lets hope that one day I can write back to you with positive news. If not, no loss, I will just marry a Finnish bloke )
This compared to becoming semi-fluent in Swedish in a year.

[interleukin]

I am sorry that it didn't work out for you.

I was not referring to myself, I was referring to the dozens of people who post in the forum. I am doing fine, thank you. You are free to be positive about things, that´s a good attitude, it´s just that it may be smart for you to do your homework properly.

you can't compare ordering a meal at mcdonalds to having a full on conversation with someone

Absolutely, that was kind of my point. If there is a high chance that your level of FInnish in a few years is at the level that you can not order a hamburger, then you will not be able to communicate with an old or sick person.

But ok, it seems you have made your decisions already. The next step is to head off to www.mol.fi and look for jobs. I wish you good luck.

[Pursuivant]

I don't need to speak finnish immediately to set up a Care Home of my Own.

No, but you need a substantial amount of capital and a plan to impress the Provincial Court to grant you a license. In that light, learning Finnish is easier, it only requires torturing the brain.

The care homes have a continuous need for workers due to the crap... salaries and duties and they do hire people who don't speak much if any Finnish for those duties. However if you're looking for a more "personal assistant" type of work - theres occasionally adverts (even here) that specify English speaking or "ok" if one does. However they are rather rare - if you look at MOL theres a lot of nursing home jobs but no "personal assistant" at the moment.

The question though is - will the paid money be enough for you to cover your living and transport costs... as thats why there is this "need for workers".

[TINA720]

Pursuivant, thank you, that was rather helpful. I had similar ideas about the Capital & Planning. One year I have to plan religiously to make it happen. But all the information given to me on this forum has been really useful. Thank you all