I started my care career 18 years ago. I had four young children and used that experience to do some volunteering on a project which supported single mothers. It was then a friend suggested I would be really good at supporting adults with learning difficulties.

I went to an open day at Freeways, and the rest is history as they say! I worked part-time as a support worker to fit around my childcare commitments and I loved it. I was then promoted into a team leader position and started working full-time in a residential home supporting 11 adults with learning disabilities.

I was then promoted to assistant manager and then manager. I’m now responsible for the whole residential unit, from safeguarding and health & safety to making sure residents are receiving the right support to be as independent as possible, leading and managing the staff and any other agencies involved and delivering within Freeway’s values, policies, procedures and budgets. It’s a really responsible job!

I got into care to make a difference, for example, supporting someone to go out on their own for the first time or to make a sandwich by themselves. It’s a good feeling to see the smile on someone’s face and their sense of achievement when they fulfil a goal, no matter how small it may seem. To make someone else feel worthy and good about themselves makes a huge difference to you as well.

I want to promote good care and a good service for the people I support. Anyone who has what I call ‘the care factor’ can work their way to the top. It’s not as difficult as you may think!