Business Development Manager, Susan, recently celebrated 40 years working in the care industry. Here’s an insight into Susan’s career story.
Susan started her career in care when she was 18 years old. On 19th November 1981 Susan began her nursing training as a general nurse, however she soon realised nursing was not her desired care career. This initially hindered Susan’s career plans but soon moved her career down another path,
“During my training I did three months in psychiatry and I really enjoyed the experience. The patients were mostly older and had dementia. Supporting them to live their lives around dementia inspired me to do more. After qualifying as a general nurse I did my psychiatric qualification and then my care of the older people’s nursing specialist qualification. I worked in the long stay hospitals in Edinburgh through the period of the psychiatric hospital closures and started setting up community based services to prevent readmission to hospital.”
Over the years Susan has worked in hospitals as a staff nurse and charge nurse, in care homes as a Care Manager, a domiciliary carer and for a housing association supporting senior people during periods of ill health.
Susan’s career then took another direction when she began working with people who had long term health conditions, supporting them back into employment. Susan enjoyed this role and started to see the positive change society was taking when considering long term illnesses;
“This was interesting as I had spent many years previously telling people with long term mental health conditions that due to the fluctuating nature of their illnesses they were unlikely to hold down long term employment. Here I was 20 years later doing the exact opposite. Changes in thinking and improvements in medication, counselling and support services mean that many people can and do continue to live their lives well regardless of their mental health.”
Working in care and during her time as a Care Manager for The Good Care Group, Susan has been able to make a positive difference to people’s lives, supporting her clients and encouraging them to achieve things they thought they couldn’t. Susan is proud that she has been able to help her clients stay at home during their senior years and have the lifestyle they desire.
Susan reflects;
“In my previous posts, I was frustrated by the lack of personalised care being offered and wanted to provide better care that was tailored to the clients’ specific needs and reflective of their choices. More and more care was being delivered in time slots, regardless of the clients’ requirements. The lack of flexibility meant that clients did not get a choice of how the care was delivered. When I was introduced to The Good Care Group, I felt that this organisation was the first to truly deliver personalised care to the client’s in a way that suited their needs and wishes. So I joined The Good Care Group in July 2019 as a Care Manager and moved to Business Development in September 2021.
I am proud of the standards of care that have been delivered by my colleagues and pleased that I could play a part in this.”
Susan is most proud of the fact that she has been in the care industry for 40 years and still enjoys it as much as she did on day one. Susan loves the fact that every day is a new learning experience, building her knowledge from other carers and clients that she meets along the way. And The Good Care Group are very happy to have her as part of the team.
If you have a thirst for knowledge, experience in the care industry and are looking for your next rewarding role, please contact The Good Care Group’s recruitment team on +44 (0) 2038 116 054
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