Sheila, Home Care Team Manager
Herefordshire Council

I joined the council originally as a home care assistant and have progressed since then to home care manager and then home care team manager. My current role involves managing the social care staff who provide home support services to disabled, vulnerable, frail or elderly people, to enable them to continue to live in their own homes.

A typical day will include supervising managers and team clerks, responding to enquiries from members of the public, planning effective out-of-hours cover, attending service meetings and compiling reports.

When I joined the council I did not require any formal qualifications, just a good standard of education. However, as I have progressed I have gained the qualifications required for different roles. In my time here I’ve done an NVQ level 2 in Care and an NVQ level 4 in management, plus a range of other courses such as food hygiene, first aid and moving and handling.

The best thing about the job is that you never quite know what each day will bring. I have never been bored with my career. The satisfaction you feel when a service user receives appropriate support and is able to remain in or return to their own home is great. However, it can be quite a challenge ensuring effective service cover 365 days per year, when there are staff shortages due to illness or annual leave.

In future I am keen to progress my career with the council, but I would also like to remain in the area of social care, as that is what I enjoy and where my expertise lies.