Feedback from staff supervisions over the past four weeks has been overwhelmingly positive. One common request is for more opportunities for staff to interact and socialise.
To facilitate this, we are hosting a special event exclusively for our staff: “Staff Social Evening” on Friday, July 19th, 2024, from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM at the Community Hub (8 Brook St). The theme is “Cheese and Wine – or whatever your favourite drink is.”
Parking is available at Enablement Care, and the car park across the road from the hub is free after 6 PM.
Please note: No work talk allowed! Anyone caught discussing work will be fined £1, with all proceeds going to the Community Hub fund.
We look forward to seeing you there for some well-deserved downtime!
The community hub open day was a lovely, successful event. Throughout the day, we engaged collaboratively with attendees to discuss their preferences for the services provided at the hub. This interaction offered valuable insights and fostered a shared vision for future projects.
We were also pleased to generate ideas for the upcoming summer fair in July. This promises to be an exciting opportunity for further community involvement and enjoyment.
Feedback from the participants was overwhelmingly positive. They appreciated the calming atmosphere of the hub and expressed enthusiasm for the new projects. Many are looking forward to regular meet-ups, and they valued having a welcoming space available during times of anxiety.
The hub will be open on Wednesdays from the 8th of May 2024.
Thank you to all who attended the staff meetings at the back end of last month.
During this time, you were all asked to nominate a staff member who you felt deserved a special mention for their commitment to the people we support, dedication to the company and an overall team player.
We can now share with you all that the votes have been counted, and it was inspirational to read the words you all said about one another.
It was a close vote!
A big CONGRATULATIONS to Catherine, community support worker and Melissa, night care worker. Your colleagues had wonderful words to say about you, and we, as a management team, can say the same.
Catherine, your colleagues said that you were committed to the people you support, nothing is too much trouble, you always strive to make sure that goals and outcomes are achieved.
Melissa, your colleagues said you were an all rounder, you lead a shift as a shift lead should, you have the residents best interest at the heart of what you do.
Congratulations to you both!
Please come to the office on Wednesday 1st May at 645pm to celebrate your achievements.
We are thrilled to introduce our Life Skills Facilitator, Anthony Davies. Thankfully, he found time in his busy schedule to answer a few questions about his role here at CET. We’re sure you’ll agree that we are very lucky to have Anthony on the team and find his responses inspiring!
Introduction and Role Overview As a Life Skills Facilitator within CET, I am dedicated to empowering service users within the community and residential care settings to lead fulfilled lives by developing essential life skills. My role encompasses guiding individuals to acquire the ten essential life skills as outlined by the World Health Organisation: critical thinking, creative thinking, decision-making, problem-solving, effective communication, interpersonal relationship skills, self-awareness, empathy, coping with emotions, and coping with stress.
By fostering the acquisition of these skills, I aim to support individuals in building confidence, fostering independence, and enhancing their overall well-being. Through personalised interventions and a person-centred approach, I collaborate with each individual to identify their unique needs and strengths, tailoring my support to ensure it connects with and benefits them on their journey toward personal growth and development.
Passion and Motivation What fuels your passion for aiding individuals in developing life skills? Was there a pivotal moment or influence directing you towards this field?
“Witnessing individuals achieve what they once thought was impossible ignites my passion for aiding individuals with various diagnoses in developing life skills. Seeing their faces light up with joy as they overcome challenges and achieve milestones is incredibly rewarding. This drive was further solidified through personal experiences and a deep-seated belief in the potential of every individual to thrive.”
Challenges and Rewards Could you discuss some of these challenges and how you address them? What are the most rewarding parts of your work?
“Challenges often arise in helping individuals with various diagnoses navigate social interactions, build confidence, and overcome barriers to learning. However, witnessing their growth, development, and increased confidence is immensely rewarding. Additionally, observing the joy and satisfaction on their faces as they achieve their goals reinforces the importance and impact of my work.”
Personalised Approach Each individual has unique needs and strengths. How do you tailor your approach to life skills to ensure it connects with and benefits each person you work with?
“I leverage various methodologies to break down complex skills into manageable steps, utilise strengths, and create inclusive learning environments. This ensures that each individual receives personalised support that resonates with their needs and effectively promotes their growth and development.”
Success Stories Could you share a memorable success story highlighting the positive impact of life skills education on an individual with additional needs?
“One memorable success story involved a young man with autism who initially struggled with anxiety and social interaction. Through targeted interventions he gained confidence and developed leadership skills. Witnessing his transformation from struggling with anxiety to confidently engaging with others and taking on leadership roles was truly inspiring. This success underscores the importance of personalised support and the potential for individual growth.”
Advice for Other What advice would you offer to educators, caregivers, or professionals who wish to support the life skills development of individuals with various diagnoses?
“Be patient, empathetic, and persistent. Take the time to understand their unique perspectives, leverage their strengths, and utilise evidence-based methodologies to promote their growth and development. Most importantly, approach your work with optimism and positivity, as your attitude can greatly influence their learning experience and overall well-being.”
In our ongoing commitment to foster a culture of recognition and appreciation, we’re happy to announce the initiation of the 2024 Person-Centred Care Awards. This initiative is designed to spotlight and recognise our staff members’ dedication and exceptional work, who are at the heart of providing compassionate and individualised care to our residents and service users.
A nomination box will be present during our staff meetings, inviting each team member to nominate a colleague they believe embodies the principles of person-centred care. This is your opportunity to shine a light on a colleague’s hard work and dedication.
We ask that you accompany your nomination with a few sentences explaining why this person deserves recognition. This could be an account of their compassion, innovative approach to care, or unwavering support of residents, service users and colleagues.
After all meetings have concluded, we’ll tally the votes. The staff member who receives the most nominations will receive a special gift and a certificate in the first phase of the 2024 awards, marking their outstanding contribution to person-centred care.
The Person-Centred Care Awards are more than just a gift; they reflect our collective values and commitment to recognising our staff’s incredible work. By nominating a colleague, you acknowledge their excellence and help us to foster a culture of appreciation and mutual respect.
We encourage everyone to participate enthusiastically in this process. It’s a wonderful way to celebrate the hard work, dedication, and compassionate care that define our team.
Stay tuned for updates and the stories of our nominees and winners, which we’ll share in our upcoming blogs, our website, and social media. Let’s make the 2024 Person-Centred Care Awards memorable and inspiring for everyone involved.
A Day in the Life of April (Support Worker to Registered Manager)
April Parker
Hi, my name is April Parker-Clark and I’m the Registered Manager of Community Enablement Team. It seems appropriate to tell you all about my life as a manager.
It all started five years ago. I was shopping in town when I received a call from a familiar voice, asking if I was looking for work. My answer was yes, and that’s where my role began.
Previous to being employed by CCT, I was on maternity leave with my youngest, and prior to that, I worked in a residential supported living service.
I began my career with CCT as a support worker, and I knew that this was my forever job. It was completely different from supported living! I gained my Level 3 in Health and Social Care whilst working my way up to team leader after six months.
Progressing a year later, being humbled to be asked to take on the role of registered manager.
Fast forward to four years later, I’m now a fully qualified Level 5, with a good CQC rating and a staff team that are so supportive and service that no day is the same.
I could sit here for days telling you about what I do daily because no day is the same. I could be doing:
paperwork attending meetings training working alongside my colleagues in the community supporting medical appointments with the service users
Every day is different, and as a manager, I have to be ready for anything and everything.
Throughout my whole life, I was always told, ‘if you do a job you love, you’ll never have to work a single day for the rest of your life.’ This has stuck with me throughout and has been my inspiration to pursue my goal.
I start my day by checking my emails, they come thick and fast from the day before, and you never know what’s going to be asked of you the day after. I then load our rota system, check that all calls are being attended, looking for any issues for the following week, making sure all service users’ hours are catered for and making sure all staff have their allocated hours, breaks in the day and acknowledge any time time off requests.
I have a schedule for the month where I write down all my targets, due dates and audits.
Whether the audit is on the service user’s files, daily records, care plans or medications, completing audits helps me see what we as a team are doing well or what we may need to enhance. This allows me to create an action plan (if required) on what I need to do as a manager to support staff to ensure these audits are successful each time with minimal requirements.
Each month there is a scheduled managers meeting; this allows for all managers across the service to discuss what’s happening and offer support to one another. The managing director can provide guidance in areas as needed.
As I express to my staff, all feedback is constructive, and we as a team all work together to make sure the service is running safe and effectively.
Audits are time consuming, but they help me work out what we need to improve; this is vital for our growth as a business and a team. Involving the team I find is a great strategy, enhancing our team effectiveness.
Every month I hold team meetings for all the staff. We have used many platforms for this and find that holding a full day of meetings split into different times is the one that works the best. Completing this supports all staff and allows for the development of the staff team to grow. This is an excellent way for me to inform the team of how well we are doing, what we can improve on, and any new initiatives, training or events we have planned. Also, it is a good way for staff to discuss any concerns they may have and what challenges they have in the workplace. I try to make team meetings as fun as possible while being professional and serious when I need to be. We always have cake and coffee!
We use Microsoft Forms for staff and service users to gather feedback on the work that we do. It is not all rainbows, but this is a good way to build a relationship with relatives and an effective way for them to voice their concerns. All feedback is constructive! I write up an action plan and I take it from there; anything the team and I can do to improve the quality of care, we will.
I also have to go out to different environments to ‘assess’ new potential service users; I love this part of my job. This is where I get a small but detailed care plan on an individual that the adult social care services have sent me to review and assess.
Most referrals are generally within the Nottinghamshire area; I may have to go to hospitals, other care homes and the service user’s property.
Every day is a new day, and I learn so much. The most amazing people I have ever met, I have met in this line of work!
Looking for a satisfying and progressive career in social care?
For a full list of our current vacancies, please click here.
For further information on any of our vacancies, please contact us by email on info@challengect.co.uk
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