How long have you been in your job and what did you do before?
I have been employed by RCT Council for 30 years. I started as a Home Help, assisting people with domestic tasks and personal care, as at that time I was looking for part time flexible hours due to starting a family. Prior to this I worked in factory positions.
After 6 years I applied for a Relief Supervisor post and was successful. 7 years later an opportunity arose when a short term intervention service was being developed, I applied for a new role in the new Intermediate Care Service and was successful. We piloted this new service for 2 years which involved myself and a senior manager and it proved to be a success. I’ve seen the service develop from a team of 9 front line staff to 90 which proves that from hard work, commitment and dedication fantastic outcomes can be achieved. My position then changed to Service Delivery Manager of the Intermediate Care Service which is my substantive post. Following further developments, I am currently the Temporary Assistant Manager for the Support@Home Service.
Over 30 years I have been given vast opportunities, gained qualifications and feel passionate about encouraging young carers to develop their skills and gain confidence. We recruit monthly and I am part of that recruitment process. I am able to share my experiences with the new staff through Induction and encourage them to never be afraid to apply and develop skills.
I have great satisfaction within my role seeing carers progress and develop to become Supervisors, Risk Assessors and Managers within the service. This is a great achievement. I look back over the years and feel proud of what I have achieved. I also never to forget where my learning first came from and how being a care worker in the community gave me all the background, knowledge and skills to be where I am today. This has helped me support individual staff in the community using my experiences.
What does your job involve and what is a typical day like?
I am currently in the temporary position of Support@Home Assistant Manager. I directly line manage Service Delivery Mangers. A typical day varies, we provide services to over 400 service users and manage over 350 front line staff which includes Planners, Duty Officers, Supervisors, Risk Assessors and community staff. I also collate service statistics weekly.
What’s the best thing/s about your job?
Supporting people, seeing staff develop skills and confidence by providing excellent training. Providing a good service to our service users with positive outcomes.
What is the best thing about working for RCT Council?
Training and development opportunities and rewarding outcomes.
What would you say to someone thinking of applying for a job in social care at RCT Council?
I would encourage the individual to apply to work for RCT Council, we receive high quality training and are given full support.