Home care in Suffolk

I am currently the Suffolk Branch Manager and have been with the company since 2010, at the beginning of my career in social care. Before that, after leaving school, I was unsure of what career path I wanted to take and had jobs in retail, hospitality, and communications. But when I started at Forest Homecare, I knew this was my vocation.

Starting as a part-time care assistant, I quickly progressed to a senior carer, where I gained the skills of supporting others and in particular, new recruits who joined the company. I enjoyed this as I was able to share my skills and knowledge with others, watching them progress and enjoy the industry themselves. I then progressed to a review officer, gaining more knowledge and skills, and interacted with other organisations and professions, where problem-solving was an important skill to have. I then changed position to coordinate the area where I started my career.

I feel the strengths I bring to this organisation are:

• Monitoring operations and performance, identifying improvement opportunities, and recommending changes.
• Maintaining a positive, safe workplace culture and developing and implementing office policies for optimal performance.
• Gathering data from leadership teams for reports.
• Scheduling of rotas and problem-solving.

Another of my strengths is that nothing is impossible. Looking at the whole picture, thinking outside the box, planning and partnership, to get the best possible outcome for the people we support and their families or significant others.

Since my promotion to branch manager in 2023, I have learned many new skills, and I have attended training sessions to upskill myself and to provide my staff with a good level of leadership.