Introducing our new interim Head of Care and Support
“I’m really honoured to be taking on the role as Head of Care and Support, to lead inspiring and dedicated people, in an organisation with such fantastic CLEAR values.”
My journey to this point
“I’ve worked in adult social care for nearly 25 years.
“After the birth of my first child I decided on a career change. I saw a role advertised working with the local authority that provided direct care services. It seemed like a great opportunity and a career that would make a difference to people’s lives.
“My first role was to provide domiciliary care. I went from house to house, riding around the local villages on my moped.
“My first customer was unforgettable. He was a quadriplegic man and I remember feeling terrified of the responsibility. But I knew I couldn’t walk away, especially when he said: “Don’t just stand there looking gormless, I’ll teach you what I need and how to do it”. And teach me he did! He taught me about people, myself, the power of positivity and the difference that good support makes to a person. Those lessons will stay with me forever.
“My next job involved providing palliative care and bereavement counselling at the local hospice. It is a real privilege to support a person and their loved ones at the end of their life. I will always be grateful for what this role taught me and how it’s shaped my career.
“From there I moved into roles providing housing with care and support services, and I managed people and services for the first time. I managed care homes, day centres, homecare services, supported living respite services and a nursing agency, before changing focus to deliver training and consultancy services.
“All of these roles and the path I’ve taken has, I believe, led me to where I am now.
“The care and support work that we do at NCHA, the support we offer to our customers is simply outstanding. It’s certainly not easy work, but even on the toughest days I love it.
“I am immensely proud of our care and support team and I look forward to the weeks and months ahead.”
Twitter: @TraceyWardNCHA
