Role: Director
Company: Penninsula Care Services
Track Record:
What does your job entail?
In the morning, when I arrive at the office, I attend a handover meeting where the office team and I discuss what has happened overnight or over the weekend period.
Following this meeting, I usually have my day mapped out. I liaise with staff members and clients, ensuring they have adequate cover in their care homes or with those living in the community to ensure they have what they need to be safe and well living at home.
I oversee all recruitment in the organisation too, as I need to guarantee that we only recruit care workers who share the same values and passion that I do.
This may involve conducting interviews, simply sitting on the panel or reviewing recruitment documentation.
I like to be involved in staff training, as I feel it is important to lead by example rather than from behind a desk.
I conduct regular audits of various aspects of the business to ensure its viability and the quality of service being delivered.
As well as overseeing day-today activities and supporting other management and junior office staff, I have sole responsibility for strategic planning to ensure that the business continues to develop and create more opportunities, not only for me, but those working in our team.
Is it 9-5?
Our office is open 9-5, Monday to Friday, though the people we care for need us outside of these times.
I sometimes start early and work late to ensure all my work has been completed. I like spending time with people, whether it be staff members or those who use our services, which often means that my own work has to be finished outside of the normal working hours.
I also work on-call during the week in the evenings, as it gives me a chance to catch up with some of the staff team working on the front line and also to hear how some of our service users are doing.
How did you get into this line of work? Outline your career to date?
It was an organic move for me. I always wanted to be a teacher, however, during my A-Levels, I undertook a placement within a nursing home. From then, I was hooked.
I changed my career path to nursing, but I knew during training that I was specifically interested in the care services sector.
Outline your career to date?
After studying nursing for over a year at Queen’s University, I realised I missed something. There was something I wasn’t getting as a student nurse. It was then I decided to take a break from nursing and to go into social care and I have never looked back since.
I was able to work in various residential homes and the community setting as a senior care worker before being offered an opportunity in a Nursing and Domiciliary Care Agency as a deputy manager.
I then took on the role of registered manager of the domiciliary service.
After two-and-a-half years, I saw a need for change, but I wanted to work for an organisation that offered something different to its team.
I wanted to be valued and be provided with opportunities and to date, my experience had never lead me to discover an organisation that could offer me that, and that I would feel happy in, so I decided to set up Peninsula Care, to be different and to stand out, like any Peninsula does.
Tell us about your qualifications/training.
I studied A-Levels in the subjects of Health and Social Care and Science. I completed my NVQ Level 3 in Health & Social Care. Presently, I am undertaking my Level 5 in Health & Social Care.
What qualities are required for your job — personal and professional?
I think to be a director and to direct a team it requires great people skills. I have a genuine desire to work with people and to listen to the team in seeing what drives them and what challenges they may face.
Being a multi-tasker is essential in my role too. I think a director in any care organisation needs to still care about the service user.
I feel when you do that, the business aspect of the organisation looks after itself. I like to be out and about meeting all who use our service, so that I have the knowledge on what my client wants.
The most important quality is to have vision — so many people depend on the director for this, whether it be a carer or nurse needing job security, or an elderly person living in their own home needing regular house visits by care staff, they all need me to ensure I am still moving the company forward.
What are the biggest challenges and rewards of your work?
I realise the importance of paperwork, though for me, personally, it is a challenge. I feel time isn’t always on my side to allow me to have the amount of contact
I want with staff and service users and also to ensure all paperwork is up-to-date.
Standards and regulations are important and it is great in Northern Ireland that the standard is set high, though it does highlight the true importance of keeping adequate records, to not only highlight the areas for improvement, but also the areas we excel in.
Singing our own praises is something no-one is ever good at and looking from a director level of a care organisation is no different.
The biggest reward would be seeing the organisation grow and individuals in the organisation growing with us.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I enjoy music and theatre. There is nothing I love more than going for a nice meal and then to see a show.
At the weekends, I enjoy heading up to the Odyssey Arena in Belfast to watch ice hockey when it’s in season.
I have a genuine passion for the sport and support the Belfast Giants. Last season, I was extremely lucky to be able to sponsor one of those players I admire.
Tell us an interesting fact about yourself.
This year, as part of my new year’s resolutions, I decided it would be a great privilege to know how to deliver a holistic therapy.
I am currently attending an evening class to be trained and qualified in Indian Head Massage.
Who has inspired you most in your life?
I don’t believe there is any one person I would look up to. Growing up with family in business, I always had a flare for business.
I do admire people who can grow businesses and their teams to enable themselves to become a strong leader.