Tell us about a typical day in your role at Sense.
There’s a lot of variety in my work as a registered care manager. I start my day spending time with the people we support – I like to talk to everyone to find out how they’re feeling and to catch up on any plans they have for the day. My aim is to enable each person to achieve the things they want to during their day, whether that’s attending an appointment, taking part in an activity, making a financial decision or something else.
Later on I’ll head to my office where I might have support plans, risk assessments or other paperwork to review and update, or I might have a meeting with a social worker. I have an open door policy, so the people we support can pop in to see me anytime. I have to be very flexible with my time, so that I can respond to things that happen during the day.
What do you find most fulfilling about your role?
The person-centred care we provide enables people to achieve their aspirations one day at a time. I find it incredibly rewarding to see how the experience and outcome for each person makes a positive difference to them.
Did you have experience in a similar role before joining Sense?
I already had some experience in the care sector, as I was providing care and support to children on the autistic spectrum. I worked with children in their homes or took them out on trips in the local area. I’d also been studying health and social care management and when I was about to start my undergraduate degree, I decided to look for a job that would fit around my course. That’s when I joined Sense as a part-time support worker at a supported living service for adults.
How has your career developed since joining Sense?
My role has developed a lot in the last five years. Having started out as a support worker, I progressed to being a team leader. From there I moved into my current role as a registered care manager. Alongside my work I’ve also completed a degree in health and social care management, and a postgraduate degree in public health.
How does Sense support you in your role?
Sense was very supportive of my university studies and I was able to adapt my working patterns as my study commitments changed. Early on, I asked to be transferred to night time support worker shifts, so that I could attend university and study during the day. Then when I was further along in my studies, I changed back to daytime support work where I would have more chances to apply the knowledge and skills I’d developed. Sense has also given me lots of opportunities to attend additional training courses. I feel like I’m continually learning and developing new skills and expertise.
What would you say to someone who’s thinking about applying for a role at Sense?
Don’t be intimidated or put off applying for a role as a support worker just because you don’t have experience of doing this kind of work. At Sense you’ll get all the training you need. If you want to support people and are open to learning then it could be a great career for you. One thing I’ve found is that when I see the changes that I’ve been able to make in someone’s life, it changes me too. We always think that the people we support will learn from us but with an open mindset, we can learn so much from them as well.
