Realising a Career Ambition

Amy Plowman recently completed her Level 5 diploma in Leadership and Management in Health and Social Care with BB Training Academy. Since completing the course, she has become a CQC (Care Quality Commission) registered manager at her care home, The Annex at Little Acre in Leicestershire.

A real milestone for Amy, it comes after more than 13 years of dedication to the sector. We caught up with her to find out more about her next ambition and to hear about the importance she places in training for herself and her team.

I have always felt that if you have the right qualities and determination, ongoing training will equip you with the necessary skills you need to be a great carer. It’s why training is so important to the sector, I know I can vouch for the positive impact it’s had on my career in care.

I believe qualifications and training can enable workers to transfer their strengths and behaviours to be able to treat a range of complex needs that people live with. With such large skill gaps in the care sector, more workers who can be flexible in who they can provide care to, will only be a good thing.

With my experience, it’s been one of my aspirations for a long time to be able to care for both younger and older residents every day, that’s what I have been working towards.

Dual Homes Manager

Earlier this year, I completed my Level 5 diploma in Leadership and Management in Health and Social Care with BB Training Academy. I actually started the course in 2017 when I was working as the assistant manager of The Annex at Little Acre.

I was appointed manager there in December last year and my course helped me in making the step-up and transitioning to my new responsibilities. Now I am a CQC registered manager for The Annex, it was a proud moment when I was able to say that for the first time!

I was recently appointed dual homes manager at Little Acre, overseeing the care in The Annex and the children’s home. It feels so special to have the opportunity to be in this position and one that I am really thankful for.

I am currently studying for Residential Childcare Level 5 with BB Training Academy so that I can become a registered manager at the children’s home too. Michelle Bird-Rolph (my training officer), who provided great support to me throughout my Level 5 In Leadership and Management in Health and Social Care, is now mentoring me towards that goal.

Emphasis on Training

Since moving into my role as manager (for both settings) one of the things I set out to achieve was to ensure we have a core team in place.

In the Annex we care for three young adults and in the children’s home we support five children. Our residents have complex learning difficulties and require dedicated care round the clock.

Putting a core team in place was so important to not only ensure we always have the right number of carers needed, but you can never underestimate how important the bond between a carer and a resident is. Ensuring our residents see familiar faces every day can make a real difference.

Once I had my team in place, the next step was to make sure all members have access to training to work towards adding to their knowledge and equipping themselves with new skills, so they can continue to provide the best care possible.

All staff who work in the Annex are working towards or have qualified in Adult Needs Level 3. The training has helped to boost the overall confidence of the team and that’s so great to see. My deputy Tracey is currently undertaking a team leadership course too, which will allow her to grow her strengths.

Training Should be Ongoing

Every individual who requires support no matter their needs, deserves a great carer to help them keep their independence and be able to make as many of their own decisions as possible.

Like with many practitioners, I know that my learning should be ongoing. Research tells us about new developments in conditions and new methods of treating and caring for people living with them. Without the latest training, it’s very difficult to have an up-to-date understanding of the best practices or to be able to hit career goals.

It’s why I have made training a key part of every stage of my career. From the very start working in a day nursery, through to working in residential care and supporting people living with learning difficulties, different courses and levels of qualifications have helped me to ensure I provide the very best care I can, no matter the individual’s needs.

It’s helped me reach my overall goal to be a registered manager, training can help so many others realise their ambition too.