A Residential Care Home is a place where personal care, meals, social activities and accommodation are provided together. Care and support are provided by a Manager and a team of care assistants. People may live in the service for short or long periods usually because they cannot manage, even with care and support, to live in their own home.
A little about working in just one of our services
The independent adult care sector in the Bradford District has a large number of excellent care providers. Hear from one example of a manager from these organisations.
Hear from Russell Leese,
Director at Horizon Healthcare Homes
We are a provider of specialist care and support for younger adults and older adults with learning disabilities and physical disabilities.
We have nine homes situated across West Yorkshire, three in Bradford, five in Kirklees and one in Leeds. We also have a day service in Honley. All of our homes are purpose built to provide the adaptations that are required to meet people’s needs, but all have a very homely feel and very well presented.
We currently employ around two hundred and fifty staff, who all receive comprehensive training to be able to deliver the high quality care and support that we pride ourselves in. All of our homes are rated good or outstanding with CQC who regulate social care.
I am responsible for the whole of the day to day operations of the business. However, I am supported by amazing people, without whom the business would not succeed. Every staff member employed is valued and seen as being equally important in ensuring that the business provides the highest quality support.
The company has very strong core values and we look for these during recruitment and support the ongoing development of our staff throughout their employment via effective supervision and training. We run a leadership development program for those people who aspire to progress their career in social care.
Like all of my colleagues, I started out as a support worker, though for me it is almost thirty years ago whilst attending University. I stumbled into a job almost by chance while looking for experience to complement my degree in psychology. I have worked in the NHS, but predominantly in privately owned social care settings as a registered manager and in other senior management positions for around twenty five years, in local and national roles. I have worked with people with learning disabilities in social care throughout my career and can honestly say that I have never looked back.
I enjoy it immensely and continue to do so. It is fun and it is meaningful – the people that we support are wonderful individuals and it really is an honour to work with the people that we support and do what we can to help them to make their lives as fulfilling as possible. It can be very challenging, certainly no two days are the same, even after all of this time! At times I have cried with colleagues, but mostly we have laughed and felt privileged to do the jobs that we do.
One of the most striking things about working in social care is the differences between people who work in the sector. There isn’t a personality type, or any certain traits that someone might have – we are all different, rather like the people we are supporting and our strengths and weaknesses compliment each other.
Types of job roles in our service
Registered Manager
The Registered Manager ensures the care service provides high-quality care. The Manager will be responsible for all aspects of the day-to-day operations within the care setting, including recruiting and managing staff, managing budgets and ensuring that the quality of the services provided meets national care standards.
Senior Care Worker
As an experienced member of the team you’ll guide and supervise less experienced care workers, as well as supporting people with all aspects of their day-to-day living, including social and physical activities, personal care, medication, mobility and meal times.
Care Worker
You’ll support people with all aspects of their day to day living, including social and physical activities, personal care, mobility and meal times.
Activities Coordinators
They ensure all our residents have access to a wide variety of fun and exciting outings and past times.
Chef
You’ll work as part of the team ensuring that high quality, nutritious, well-balanced meals and snacks are provided to support the well-being, beliefs, choices and physical health needs of people living in care home, nursing home or extra care housing settings.
Cleaner
You’ll work as part of the team ensuring a clean, tidy, pleasant environment to support people’s well-being, and you will play a key role in contributing to infection control within the care setting.
Business Admin
You’ll work as part of the team doing a range of administration tasks to support the Manager and care team with the planning, coordination and smooth running of the care setting.
Qualifications and Training
Many care staff are offered the opportunities to advance their career progression by completing additional training to increase their qualifications. Often staff stay with a nursing or residential home for a great number of years, as the job can be diverse and interesting career pathways.
What staff say about working in social care
“I love working in social care because I enjoy seeing other people achieving their hopes and dreams and knowing I have helped them do this makes me feel really proud. I love coming into work and feeling like I’ve come to my second family and helping everyone to better themselves.”
Beth Platt, Team leader
“I like working in social care because i enjoy supporting others to reach their full potential, they are my family. I love them.”
Lorna Bent, Support worker
“I like working in social care as I feel like my initial expectations because I am new to this section of work are that it’s a very rewarding environment to work in. We make a difference everyday.”
Gary Brook, Driver/maintenance
