A career for life

Lisa Mason

from Support Worker to Assistant General Manager...

In December 1995 I started work at Fullerton House School as a relief member of staff whilst I was at university.  After I left university I then applied for a Support Worker role at Wilsic Hall School and took on this role from April 1996. I thoroughly enjoyed this role and I loved seeing the person I support reach their goals and felt that I really made a difference.

One of the best days I have ever had was when the person I was supporting learnt to blow his nose.  This took him 8 months to achieve and was broken down into steps.  The day that he did this I remember phoning his mum to let her know and she was crying because she was so overwhelmed.  This may seem like a little thing to achieve but to me and to the person’s mum it meant the world.  We had taught him a life goal and I like to think that I have made a difference to his life.  It was at this point that I realised that I had found exactly what I wanted to do.  What had started out as a 6-week job during the summer months turned into my career.  I wanted to make a difference to a person’s life.  I wanted each day to be different and I wanted to be challenged.

I was also ambitious and luckily Wilsic Hall School was fully supportive of this.  When a company invests in you it makes you feel supported and also provides a work environment that is not only conducive to learning but also makes you want to be there. I originally started as Support Worker and then moved to Team Leader, Deputy Care Manager, Care Manager and then Assistant General Manager.

Hesley Group is committed to staff development and this is evident in the training that I have completed and was funded by Hesley:

• NVQ 2 in Care - April 1998
• SCIP Instructor - 1999
• Makaton Local Tutor - June 2000
• TCI Train the Trainer Instructor - 2003
• Bachelor of Philosophy Degree in Special Education and Learning Difficulties - November 2003
• NVQ 3 in Children - May 2004
• NVQ 4 in Registered Managers Award (adult) - December 2005
• NVQ 4 in Health and Social Care Adults - November 2006
• NVQ 4 in Health and Social Care Children - November 2006
• NVQ 5 in Management - March 2010
• Level 7 NVQ Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership - May 2017
• Regional Makaton Trainer - February 2018

In 2016 after 20 years working at Wilsic I was asked if I would second to Hesley Village for a period of 6 months. This initially was on a supportive basis and also to support new Care Managers that were joining the village.  After 6 months I realised that I was ready for a new challenge and opted to stay at Hesley Village.  I was offered the opportunity of acting up as Assistant General Manager and I completed this for a period of 4 months and also for annual leave cover.

In June 2018 I applied for the permanent position of Assistant General Manager here at Hesley Village and I am pleased to say that I was successful.

At the moment?  I am excited and looking forward to the future.

For a job that was supposed to last over the summer I have realised that it is not a job it is an exciting career and one that I am lucky enough to have and enjoy.

Holly Fenton

from Support Worker to Senior Occupational Therapist....

I began working for the Hesley Group in 2007 as a Support Worker at the age of 19. Through the Hesley Group I then completed my Level 2 NVQ in Health and Social Care.

After working several years as a Support Worker, I wanted to have a change in direction however I knew I wanted to continue working with people with autism and learning difficulties so I began looking into different healthcare professions.

Looking for a role that would allow me to be creative and would provide lots of variety, I found the profession ‘Occupational Therapy’ or ‘OT’. This seemed like a perfect career for me as it supports people of all ages and backgrounds to complete all the practical and enjoyable things people may want/need to do in life such as chores, employment, hobbies, mobility and sensory difficulties.

At this point I had already started an Advanced Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care through the Hesley Group. Around this time in 2011, Hesley Group employed their first Occupational Therapist who required an OT Assistant. I applied for the job and after interview was successful. I then applied to university to study Occupational Therapy, most Universities required A Levels or an access course however with GCSEs A-C, my Advanced Level 3 Diploma and experience I was offered a full-time place at York St. Johns in September 2012.

During my 3 years at University the Hesley Group supported me to drop to a 15 hour a week flexible contract as an OT Assistant and I completed overtime shifts as a Support Worker to gain some extra income. I graduated as an Occupational Therapist in 2015 and was successful in gaining a post as an Occupational Therapist within the Hesley Group and in 2017 was promoted to Senior Occupational Therapist.

In addition, I have completed further specialist training through the Hesley Group such as Sensory Integration and Moving and Handling. Although managing work and University full time was possibly one of the most challenging things I have done, I feel it was very much worth it. I have been able to progress, improve my education and learning all within a company and client group I am passionate about.

Dannie-Leigh Carpenter

from Support Worker to Deputy Care Manager...

I am Dannie-Leigh and I have worked for the Hesley Group for 3 years. Since leaving school I went on to further studies and completed my A-levels in Health and Social Care which lead me to a career in the care industry. This led me to working for the Hesley Group. I had never supported anyone with a learning disability before, so at first was nervous as I was going into the unknown.  However, after giving it a go I realised that this job was made for me.

There have been days that I have found my job challenging and there have been days that I have found my job rewarding, which have both taught me lessons and improved my skills and knowledge to be able to support young adults and make their quality of life better.

Every day at work is different, one day I have supported someone to make a drink independently for the first time, to the next day supporting someone through a difficult time. This job has given me many rewarding opportunities both for myself and for the people we support. In my time at Hesley I have supported young adults on holiday, on home visits, into the community and day trips.

I was first attracted to the Hesley Group after hearing about them in a local paper, I had completed my studies and was looking for a career in care. Hesley Group provided me with a 4-week induction that was absolutely fantastic and gave me the knowledge I needed to begin my career with them. Within the 4-week induction they covered various things such as First Aid, Health & Safety, Autism & Learning Disabilities, Makaton and lots more which made me feel positive and ready to start the job. I was also given a shadowing schedule before I started to help me see what it was all about without being thrown in at the deep end! Hesley Group also have lots of benefit schemes that you can sign up to as an employee which was exciting.

I began working at Low Laithes as a Support Worker, I was unqualified but they put me through NVQ training with an external assessor to help me gain my NVQ Level 2 in Health & Social Care as well as my NVQ Level 3.  The company have been very supportive towards me in terms of progression and have supported me through my qualifications to be able to progress.

After working for the Hesley Group for 2 years I became a Senior Support Worker/Team Leader. I worked within this role for a while and progressed further to a Deputy Care Manager. Within this time the company have put me through lots of different training courses to better myself as a manager.

For anyone looking for a career in care whether it be a Support Worker or a Manager, I would definitely recommend the Hesley Group.