Saturday 16 March marked the first opportunity for many of the Devon STP organisations to recruit together at the Proud to Care jobs fair at the Rougemont Hotel, Exeter.  The focus was on registered roles and the event was advertised nationally.  199 people came to meet health and social care providers from across Devon and to discuss nursing, social work, general practice roles, occupational therapy and many more roles.  Please send feedback to proudtocare@devon.gov.uk.   If the evaluation proves successful, more events will be run in other locations across Devon.

Proud to Care was pleased to be part of the Innovative Care Exhibition at Westpoint, the Torbay and South Devon Jobs Fair and the Exeter Jobs Fair this month. 

The latest Proud to Care campaign aimed at attracting 17-25 year olds to care and health jobs, careers and education went live on 11 March and runs until 31 May.  Have a look at our 50 second film clip on the Proud to Care campaign landing page and let us know what you think: proudtocare@devon.gov.uk

Sally-Ann Turner

Proud to Care Devon

Tuesday 5 March saw the launch Proud to Care in Torbay.  We had a great time and welcomed over 30 new Ambassadors. Thank you to Rachel Nolan, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, for talking about what it is like being an Ambassador and attending events, to Maddy Bird, Love to Care and to Esa Reeman, Carmel Care, for talking about their career journeys and what brought them into a career in care.  Thank you also to Simon Porter, for coordinating proceedings on the day and to Jill Croskell, Skills for Care and Mark Wilson, Health Education England, for their Integrated Health and Care presentation.

If you would like to access any of the presentations from the day they are available here.

When I was in secondary school, time would be taken out from school hours to work in the community.  During this time, I helped residents in a small housing estate for older people, by making cups of tea, peeling potatoes and hoovering.  I felt then that this was my vocation in life and that’s where it all started.

I became a care assistant at a nursing home in Plymouth where I worked on a Youth Training Scheme (those were the days!)

In 1986 I moved into Vale Lodge Care Home where I was truly happy and found job satisfaction.

In 1988 the care home provider sold this home and moved on.  This is where my journey began into bigger and better things.

The new care provider lived away and there was a new manager at the home.  Unfortunately, things didn’t go to plan and the care became poor, so with the care of the residents in mind, I contacted CQC to raise my concerns.  I had a meeting with them and they advised me to stay at the care home and continue in my role.

With this the care provider went into administration and I was appointed manager.

With a typewriter from the local tip I started building up care plans and policies and received many letters from Devon County Council and the local GP surgery saying keep the hard work up!  I did and was then offered the opportunity to buy the care home, with help from my partner.

From this day I never looked back and have moved onward and upwards and now have a great team behind me.  We have been awarded Outstanding by the CQC and have won many awards since this.  I look back and say well done I have done a good job, it was all worth it.