Real care.
Real lives.
A career that fits yours.
Thanks for applying to join us. While we get ready to give you a call, here's everything you need to know about working as a Healthcare Assistant with Bluebird Care Wexford — what the role actually involves, how the schedule works, what we're looking for, and exactly what happens next in the hiring process.
"I see the same clients every week. They know me. I know them. That continuity is everything."
Local work, local clients
Your community. Your roster. Your routine.
Shifts available across the day.
What does a Healthcare Assistant actually do?
As an HCA with Bluebird Care, you'll travel between clients' homes across your local area, delivering person-centred care that helps them live well, safely, and independently — exactly where they want to be.
"It's good to be home — and we make sure it stays that way."
- Help with washing, dressing, and personal care
- Medication prompts and reminders
- Meal preparation and light housework
- Mobility support and companionship
- Monitoring and reporting on wellbeing
One client at a time. Real connections.
A typical visit lasts around an hour. You'll spend that time fully focused on one client — listening, supporting, and delivering the care that's been agreed in their personalised care plan. No conveyor belt. No corner-cutting.
Across a shift you'll see between four and eight clients in their homes, travelling between visits in your own car, e-bike or e-scooter. Mornings often focus on getting clients up and ready for the day. Evenings are about settling them in safely for the night. Midday calls might involve lunch, companionship, or a walk in the fresh air.
Bluebird Care is built around real care — the kind that makes a difference to the person you're with. You're not rushing. You're not on a tight schedule built around the company. You're there because that client needs you, and they know they can count on you specifically.
"You become part of someone's week. Part of their life. That's not something every job can offer."
Flexible to start. Predictable once it's set.
We're genuinely flexible about the hours you work — full-time, part-time, or somewhere in between. We'll build a roster that fits your life, but once it's built, it stays consistent. That's how we deliver continuity to clients and predictability to you.
How many hours suit you?
Whatever shape you're looking for — light part-time around other commitments, or a full-time career — we have options. Tell us what works and we'll see what we can match.
What does full-time actually look like?
Full-time is an eight-hour working day, run across a two-week pattern. You work four weekdays each week with one weekday off, alternating weekends off and on. Here's a typical fortnight — Wednesdays off, weekend off in week one, weekend on in week two:
What does a working day look like?
Each working day is eight hours, but those hours aren't a single block. Care needs are highest at specific times of day — so your shifts are typically split across two or three windows. Here's the most common shape:
The standard morning shift
Helping clients get up, washed, dressed, fed, and started on their day. Almost every working day starts here.
Sometimes scheduled here
Lunchtime calls, mobility support, companionship visits — depending on what your particular clients need that day.
The standard evening shift
Dinner, medication prompts, getting clients comfortable and settled in for the night. The other anchor of the day.
The exact split depends on your clients and the area you're working in — but the eight hours always fit within the 8am to 8pm window.
Six days in a row, maximum — never more
Same day every week — you choose which
A full Saturday and Sunday, every fortnight
You choose your day off. The example above uses Wednesday — but it could just as easily be Monday, Thursday, or Friday. We work that out with you at final interview, based on what fits your life and the clients we'd be matching you with.
What does part-time actually look like?
This is just one example of how a 20-hour part-time roster might be put together. The exact shifts, days, and times are always built around your availability — but here's a typical shape so you can see how the rhythm works in practice. It still gives you all the same wellbeing benefits as full-time.
How part-time can be shaped
Most part-time HCAs work four-hour shifts that mirror the busiest care windows — but that's not the only shape available. Here are three of the most common patterns we build rosters around:
Mornings & evenings
Four-hour shifts in the busiest care windows — getting clients up and ready, or settling them in for the night. The example above on this page uses this shape.
Midday & afternoon
If you can only work between the school run and dinner, that works too — afternoon calls cover lunches, mobility support, companionship, and post-lunch care.
Longer days, more days off
Prefer to work full eight-hour split days but only two or three days a week? We can build that too — same split-shift pattern as full-time, fewer days on the roster.
Minimum 20 hours a week. Whatever shape your part-time roster takes — mornings, afternoons, evenings, or a mix — we ask part-time HCAs to commit to at least 20 hours a week so we can give clients the continuity they need.
stretches
Same wellbeing rules apply — six days max
weekday off
Wednesday in this example — you choose yours
weekend off
A full Saturday and Sunday, every fortnight
This is just one example. A 20-hour week could equally be all mornings, or all afternoons, or built around a school run. Some people prefer their hours stacked into fewer days; others want them spread out. We'll work with you on the shape that fits your life — what stays consistent is the wellbeing logic: a weekday off, weekends off every other fortnight, and never more than six days in a row.
Two carers a client knows. Not a different one every weekend.
Working every second weekend isn't an arbitrary scheduling rule — it's a deliberate choice we make for our clients. Here's why we run weekends this way.
Comfort and confidence
Clients know who's coming. They've built a relationship with both carers. There's no anxiety about a stranger arriving on a Sunday morning.
Real continuity of care
Two carers building genuine knowledge of one client — their routines, their preferences, the small details that matter. Not a rotating cast of strangers.
Some exceptions, where they make sense
Depending on locations and client needs, we sometimes have Monday-to-Friday-only work, or weekends-only (Saturday and Sunday) work available. If your circumstances mean only one of those would suit you, mention it at interview — we can't always accommodate it, but we'll always tell you honestly whether the matching work exists in your area.
The most you'll ever work is six days in a row.
A lot of home care companies run a different roster: every second weekend off, no midweek break. That means their carers work twelve days straight before they get a single day off. It's a recipe for burnout, fatigue, and the kind of stress that leads to good carers leaving the sector entirely.
We do it differently. Your weekday off — Wednesday in the example above — breaks up the fortnight, so your longest stretch of consecutive days is six, not twelve. Unless you specifically choose otherwise, that's the deal. Your wellbeing is part of how the roster is built, not an afterthought.
Mornings & evenings are our busiest windows
Whatever hours you work, our peak demand is 8am–12pm and 4pm–8pm. That's when most clients need help getting up, ready, fed, and settled. Availability across these times is what we can build the strongest roster around.
Here's the deal: flexibility upfront, stability after that.
At final interview, we'll confirm the schedule you can realistically commit to — what hours band, what days, what windows. Then we build your roster around it. Once it's built, it stays the same. If you're with a client at 9am on a Monday, you'll be with that client at 9am every Monday. The flexibility is in how we set things up; the stability is what comes next.
That's deliberate. It's how we deliver real continuity to clients — and how we make sure you can actually plan your life around your work.
What you'll need to join us
Care work is rewarding, but it's also a serious responsibility. These are the requirements we hold firmly — and the qualities we look for beyond them.
Essential
- QQI Level 5 in Care of the Elderly and Care Skills — or willingness to complete it. We'll support you through the qualification if you don't already have it.
- Own transport and a full driver's licence — you must have your own car. You'll be travelling between clients across the day. An e-bike or e-scooter is not suitable.
- Legal right to work in Ireland — we cannot offer visa sponsorship for these roles.
- Strong communication skills in English, written and spoken.
- Based in County Wexford — anywhere across the county, including the main centres of Wexford Town, Gorey, Enniscorthy and New Ross.
What we look for
- Genuine empathy — you actually care about the people you'll be supporting.
- Reliability — clients depend on you turning up, on time, every time.
- Calm under pressure — you can think clearly when things don't go to plan.
- Independence — you'll be working on your own most of the day, with full team support behind you.
- Realistic about your availability — be honest with us upfront and we'll build the right roster.
From application to first shift
We move quickly and we keep you informed. Here's exactly what happens after you apply — no surprises, no ghosting, no wondering where you stand.
- 1Within 5 minutes
You apply, we acknowledge
The moment you submit your application you'll get a text message and email confirming we've received it. No black hole. No silence. You'll know we're on it.
- 2Within 24 hours
A phone call to get to know you
One of our team will give you a quick call — a friendly conversation to find out a bit about you, your experience, your availability, and what you're looking for. If it's a good fit, we'll ask you to send through your CV.
- 3Once we have your CV
WhatsApp video pre-screen
We'll set up a short video call on WhatsApp. This is where we go through the role in more detail, ask a few questions about how you'd handle different situations, and confirm the basics before we book you in for a face-to-face. It's relaxed — we want you to be yourself.
- 4In our Wexford office
Face-to-face interview with Cyril
The final stage is meeting Cyril, our Care Manager, in person at the Wexford office. We'll talk through your experience, the kind of work you're looking for, the type of clients you'd suit best, and — importantly — we'll lock in the schedule you can commit to. That schedule is what we use to build your roster.
- 5After your offer
Paperwork, induction, first shift
Once we make you an offer, we'll get the formal paperwork sorted on-site — no printing forms at home, no complicated portals. You'll be inducted, paired with experienced colleagues for paid shadowing, and introduced to your clients before you start solo.
If we don't get you on the first call, we'll keep trying.
We'll attempt up to four phone calls and follow up by SMS each time. If we still haven't connected by the fourth attempt, we'll add you to our evergreen list and reach back out next time we're hiring — your application is never lost.
Got questions? We've got answers.
The questions we get asked most often by people thinking about applying — answered honestly. If you don't see what you're looking for here, just give us a call.
The role
You'll travel between clients' homes across your local area, spending around an hour with each person. Visits typically include some combination of personal care (washing, dressing), meal preparation, medication prompts, light housework, mobility support, and companionship. You'll also keep notes and report any changes you notice in a client's wellbeing.
Most HCAs see between four and eight clients across a shift, depending on visit lengths and how the roster is built.
We deliver care across the whole of County Wexford. The main population centres are Wexford Town, Gorey, Enniscorthy and New Ross — but we cover the surrounding villages, towns and rural areas too.
We'll always match you with clients close to where you live, so your travel time stays manageable and you can build proper relationships with people in your community.
You'll be working independently in clients' homes — that's the nature of community-based care — but you're never on your own in the bigger sense. You'll have direct lines to your Care Manager, an on-call support system out of hours, and a team of fellow HCAs you'll regularly meet at training, team meetings, and handovers.
You'll be trained on emergency protocols as part of your induction, and you'll always have access to the on-call team for support. Every client also has a clear care plan that sets out what to do in different situations.
Most of our clients are older adults living independently in their own homes who need a bit of support to stay there safely and comfortably. Some have specific needs around mobility, dementia, or recovery from illness.
Hours & schedule
Yes, absolutely. We're genuinely flexible on hours — provided you're realistic about what you can offer and we can match it to a need we have.
Our minimum for part-time HCAs is 20 hours a week. That gives clients the continuity they need and gives you enough hours to make the role worthwhile.
Full-time runs across a two-week pattern. Each week, you work four weekdays Monday to Friday with one weekday off. On top of that, you work every second weekend.
Each working day is eight hours — typically split across the busiest care windows. Standard shape is a morning shift (8am–12pm) and an evening shift (4pm–8pm).
Six days. Maximum. Unless you specifically ask us for something different.
A lot of home care companies run rosters where carers work twelve consecutive days before getting a day off — a common cause of burnout. We don't run things that way.
No — and that's intentional. Once we've built your roster around the schedule you committed to, it stays the same. This is how we deliver continuity to clients and predictability to you.
Life happens — we get that. If your availability genuinely needs to change, we'll work with you to redesign your roster. We just ask for two weeks' notice.
For most full-time and part-time roles, yes — every second weekend. That's so our clients see one of two familiar carers rotating across weekends. Sometimes we have Monday-to-Friday-only work and weekends-only work available.
Our peak windows are 8am to 12pm in the mornings and 4pm to 8pm in the evenings.
Pay & benefits
Three transparent tiers from €14.15 to €16.00 per hour, depending on qualifications and experience. We'll talk you through the specifics on your first call. No surprises.
Yes. We pay travel time and mileage between clients during your shift — equivalent to 48c per mile.
We'll cover the exact pay schedule with you when we discuss the role. Pay is reliable and on-schedule.
Beyond competitive pay and mileage, you'll have access to:
- —Employee Assistance Programme — confidential support
- —Online shopping and lifestyle discounts
- —Paid shadowing during your induction
- —Ongoing paid training and development
- —A real career path within Bluebird Care
Yes — and we genuinely love promoting from within. HCAs can progress into senior carer, supervisor, care coordinator, and management roles.
Qualifications & transport
You have two pathways:
- —Already QQI Level 5 qualified — ready to go straight into the role.
- —Not qualified yet, but willing — we'll support you through the QQI Level 5 while you start working with us.
Possibly. Some equivalent qualifications (nursing degrees from outside Ireland, certain healthcare diplomas, FETAC equivalents) may meet the requirement. Send us your CV and we'll check.
You'll be travelling between clients' homes throughout your shift, often in areas where public transport isn't reliable. A car, e-bike, or e-scooter all work depending on the geography of your roster.
Unfortunately no — for these HCA roles we cannot offer visa sponsorship. You need the legal right to work in Ireland.
Yes — Garda vetting is a non-negotiable for any role involving care of vulnerable adults. We'll guide you through the process during onboarding.
Training & support
A comprehensive paid induction covering manual handling, infection control, safeguarding, medication awareness, and our care management systems — plus paid shadowing shifts with experienced HCAs before solo visits.
Yes. We'll properly introduce you to each new client — usually with a senior carer present — before you start running visits independently.
Training is continuous. We offer regular refreshers, specialist modules (dementia care, end-of-life care, complex care), and clear development pathways.
If you're unwell, ring the office as early as possible and we cover your visits with another HCA. Clear, supported sickness policy.
Yes — regular check-ins with your Care Manager, access to a confidential Employee Assistance Programme, and colleagues who understand.
Applying & starting
From application to job offer, most candidates move through in one to two weeks. After that, your start date depends on Garda vetting clearance, references, and induction scheduling.
Just bring yourself, an updated CV, and any relevant qualification certificates. The face-to-face is conversational.
We'll try you up to four times and always send a follow-up SMS. If we still can't reach you, we'll add you to our evergreen list. Your application is never just deleted.
Yes. The application stage is short. Full paperwork (references, vetting forms, banking details) gets handled after you've been offered the job.
Apply and let's talk. The early stages are exactly designed to help both of us figure out if it's a good fit.
Yes, please do. Roles open up at different times in different areas. A fresh application puts you back at the top of our list.
Sit tight — we'll be in touch very soon.
Your application is with our team and we'll be calling you within 24 hours of when you applied. In the meantime, if there's anything you'd like to ask before we speak, we'd genuinely rather you got in touch than wondered.