Proud to Care - May Newsletter

Proud to Care Devon

May newsletter                                                     Issue 17

DCS 3

Introduction

DCS

Proud to Care had a lot of fun at the Devon County Show on 16-18 May, as part of the #WeAreDevon marquee.  Thank you to all the Proud to Care Ambassadors from Devon County Council, Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, University Hospitals Plymouth and Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, who all worked together under the Proud to Care Devon banner to show health and social care working together.

We are also really lucky to have Orsa, Proud to Care’s therapy dog Ambassador, who attracted the crowds, and school children and people of all ages enjoyed playing the giant Operation game.

There were some really good conversations about careers in care and health and also feedback about care and health services across Devon.

Also in the marquee, 150 blood pressure checks were taken by South West Ambulance Service Trust, resulting in some GP referrals for people with high risk measurements.  And around 200 people signed up to the NHS organ donation register across the course of three days.

If you would like to get involved, please come along to our next Proud to Care Ambassador induction day(s) on 12th June in Exeter and 9th July in Plymouth.  Please contact proudtocare@devon.gov.uk for details

Sally-Ann Turner

Proud to Care Devon


Upcoming Events - Please email Tracy to volunteer

20 June          South Devon College                       10.30 am - 2.30 pm  Stand

27 June          Dawlish College                               2 pm - 6 pm              Careers Fair

27 June          Spires College Torquay                   8.30 am - 4 pm         Careers Fair

18 July           Chulmleigh Community College      TBC                           Class talk

27 Sept          Riviera Centre, Torquay                  9.30 am - 1 pm          Jobs Fair

14 Oct            Coombeshead Academy                 6 pm - 8 pm               Careers Fair

18 Nov           Horizon Centre, Torquay                 10 am - 2 pm             Information stand

For more information or to volunteer please email Tracy at tracy.grant@devon.gov.uk        


Ambassador story - Jenna Brittan - Recruitment Officer

Jenna

When I first came back from travelling I had no idea what I wanted to do; I just knew it would have to be something I loved. The challenge was finding a career that met all my criteria. I wanted a job that challenged me, utilised my skills to my full potential and require interaction with new people on a daily basis. Having been meeting new people from different cultures and backgrounds whilst traveling, I became accustomed to enjoying meeting different people each day. Also, as much as I wanted my personal success to be dependent on how hard I was willing to work, I wanted to be a part of a team. Having an opportunity that required me to learn new things every day would be a bonus.

I signed up with a local recruitment agency to help me find some temporary work, little did I know that this would be the start of my career in care.

I first began as a temporary administrative assistant with a domiciliary care provider. I was helping audit client files, and working closely with the compliance team to improve the company’s CQC rating. Reading through the care plans were so interesting to me, I loved seeing the history of that person, to how they ended up needing help at home. This ignited a spark in me, and I knew that the care industry is where I wanted to stay, to make a difference somehow. I then began working alongside the recruitment team, auditing staff files. Now anyone who loves to be organised will understand the joy I had in going through everything with a fine tooth comb, picking up any missing documentation that perhaps got overlooked. I began to feel I was really making a difference.

The company decided that my organisational and people skills were definitely needed within the business and so they took me on as a Trainee Recruitment Administrator. Alongside this I was able to study my Level 2 Business Administration qualification.  Being able to study and work at the same time has allowed me to progress quickly and utilise my new skills into the role.

I have been recruiting for nearly 3 years, and I am very lucky to have landed in this role, and so grateful to have been given the opportunity to develop a career and study a qualification. I now work for an Outstanding CQC rated company, and I am studying my Level 3 Business Administration and hope to complete a HR degree afterwards.

The fast-paced environment, building relationships with both internal and external business partners, the need to be extremely organised, and inevitable personal growth are just a few of the reasons I love being a recruiter.  I get to talk to interesting people every day, help build relationships, and be an advocate for someone’s livelihood. I love seeing my team grow and pushing them to their fullest potential. Also, we have a lot of fun!

I feel the most rewarding part of my job is knowing I’ve played a large part in taking people through the whole recruitment process to then secure them their dream job. Knowing I helped change their lives for the better gives me great satisfaction. To create a good marriage between a candidate and our clients based on the knowledge and influential skills I’ve developed throughout my career is an amazing achievement.

Being a recruiter meets everything I was looking for in a career. My job is something that I love to do every day, but also a vital necessity to clients and communities with a real need. What’s more, I’ve found that recruiting satisfies a criterion I hadn’t thought of initially: doing work that matters.

Every day is a challenge, but also fun and intriguing. Timing is everything. I am very happy with the decision I made a little over three years ago and cannot imagine working with a better group of people.


Feedback

As always, your feedback is important to us. Please follow the relevant links to a short two minute survey if you attended any of these events: 


Next Ambassador induction event in Exeter- 12th June

Cupcakes

The next Ambassador event in Exeter is planned for 12 June, 1 pm to 3.30 pm in the Knightshayes Room at Larkbeare House.  To book a place please follow this link and complete the short form.  View the Agenda here.

Please encourage colleagues and friends from your organisations to attend and find out more about what being a Proud to Care Ambassador is about.


Workforce Development (Commissioning) updates

Please follow this link to view opportunities, updates and news from colleagues in workforce development.  There are exciting opportunities for you to get involved and shape the future of health and social care.  If you have any questions please contact terrie.chaplin@devon.gov.uk for further information.


Proud to Care in Torbay

Jo

Following the official launch of Proud to Care in Torbay in March, a lead for the Bay has been established to co-ordinate the Proud to Care events and Ambassadors across Torbay, link with schools, colleges and job centres and promote Providers to use the FREE Jobs Board.

I will allow Jo to introduce herself.....

Hello everyone. My name is Jo Thomas and I am the new lead for Proud to Care Ambassadors in Torbay.  I just wanted to introduce myself and tell you a little about me as a person and my journey into the Health and Social Care sector.

In my personal life I am a mum to two boys aged 24 and 9 (big age gap I know!) I work for a relatively new company called Maids Care. I won’t bore you with a list of my hobbies only to tell you that I like to enjoy lots of things when I have the time! I like to try to live life to the full and I think I have a great sense of humour and a mischievous sense of fun (ask my bosses and colleagues to confirm or deny this!) My personal philosophy is to work hard, enjoy what you do and always try to do your best.

In my working life I have had a variety of different jobs and careers including most recently being a primary school teacher for 13 years, working mostly with the Early Years and younger children in school. I was also in the Royal Navy in my twenties and have done jobs such as bar work, tutoring and working for a foster care company.

My first experience of working in the Health and Social Care sector was at the tender age of 16 when I did voluntary work at Rosehill when it was a Care Home for what was termed in those days as Mentally and Physically Handicapped children. Thank goodness we’ve moved on from using those descriptions of children. It was a bit of a baptism of fire as there was a lot of personal care which I had not previously had any experience of, but I found that I thoroughly enjoyed volunteering there and it was very rewarding.

My next experience was when I was training to become a teacher. To make ends meet I signed up for a Care Agency and worked at least one night a week whilst studying. I quickly found that I had regular work at a handful of Care Homes mostly working with adults with Dementia and the Elderly and was frequently asked if I wanted a permanent job!

I left teaching in April 2018 and had been following some parents of children I had previously taught as they were setting up their new company  - Maids Care. It looked really exciting and I contacted one of my bosses when they had posted on Facebook about needing staff. I can honestly say that I have never looked back. The job (although at times challenging and a bit tiring) is so rewarding and the enthusiasm that I once had in the classroom has come back in spades.

I am really looking forward to meeting and working with all of you. I aim to make it as fun as possible as well as engaging to our different audiences to recruit and retain people within our sector. I like to think I am a very approachable person and see communication as the key to successful working partnerships. I am hoping to set up a regular meeting so that we can all get together when possible to share ideas and experiences.

Kind regards

Jo Thomas


Next Ambassador event in Plymouth- 9th July

The next Ambassador event planned in Plymouth will take place at Windsor House from 1.30 pm to 4 pm.  Details of the agenda to be confirmed.


Resources

Ambassador resources are available from:

  • Your local Proud to Care Champion. Find your local Champion here.
  • Health Education England have 16 A4 books covering individual health career areas and an A5 overview booklet.  Order on 0345 6060 655 or advice@healthcareers.nhs.uk Allow two weeks for delivery.
  • Skills for Care have a range of care careers and apprenticeship information and booklets. Contact your local Champion.

Any other news?

Do you or your company have anything you would like to be included in future newsletters?

If so, please send it to tracy.grant@devon.gov.uk by the second week of the month and I will do my best to include it in the next newsletter!


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