Grace Cotterill – Mio Account Manager

What work did I do through lockdown?

I went to work for a company who provide Domiciliary care for the vulnerable and elderly within my community. The work involved was personal care, domestic help around the home, shopping and social visits. It was work I had never done before, and it was overwhelmingly scary for both the people we cared for and me, during a global pandemic. It turns out, with a lot of PPE, hand sanitiser and washing my hands until they were red raw, I love caring for people. Care work is not for the faint hearted.  It is early starts, late finishes, double shifts and the most physically and mentally draining thing I have ever done. People should clap for these workers, all the time. They deserve it – they really do.

What did I learn about whose who need Care in their home?

Working with people in their homes showed me the fierce human reaction to want to be as independent for as long as they possibly can. The willpower and determination of our older generation is quite remarkable. They have lived wonderful lives, and are all incredible in their own way.

The dedication of family’s to be with the ones they love right until the end, is heart-warming and restores my faith in humanity completely.

What did I learn from it and how will it help me moving forward?

I learnt new skills, in a working environment I would never have imagined I would be in. I am the proud owner of a Care Certificate, which means I am a qualified Care Support Worker, and delved into the world of infection control and moving and handling those I was caring for correctly. Apart from that, I learnt that my ability to get up and keep going when times are tough is incredibly strong, and I am pretty sure I could take on anything, if I put my mind to it.

I also learnt that your wellbeing is vital. I burnt myself out, and it was exhausting. I will be good to myself moving forward; I will take breaks and make sure I enjoy ‘me’ time.

Back to mio, and beyond!

I am now back in Estate Agency world, and thrilled to be here. mio really will change the way Estate Agents work their pipelines – for the better! We had an overwhelming positive response to the pilot and since then more and more forward thinking agents are signing up to see the benefits of what mio can do. I am very excited to be a part of this growing community. Agent collaboration is key to the success of any pipeline progression and it is my job to let as many agents know about mio as possible.