What it means to be a Care Home Manager to Clare

Clare Erskine is the Care Home Manager at The Manor House Roundhay. In this blog she shares what first sparked her passion for the care sector, how she knew a job in care was right for her and how she progressed to a management position. 

How did you start your career in care?

Care wasn’t my first career choice.  After leaving school I went to secretarial college and become a Secretary and did that for several years, before starting a family. 

After I had children, I decided to job share with my sister who worked in a care home. We were both Care Assistants  and whilst one was working at the care home the other cared for our children at home. I found care to be a perfect role for me and one that I found so rewarding and fulfilling. I suppose you could say I found working in a care home setting the perfect place to be.

What is it like working in a care home?  

At first, I worried about a care role and whether I was going to be any good at it.  It was so different from the familiar office work I was used to.  However, from day one I absolutely loved it.  I like people, especially older people who I found to be great company and with the greatest stories to tell! It may sound like a cliché, but I found a place of work that was meant to be. 

What do you enjoy about working in care?

I loved being part of a care team, I loved every single moment of that job. It was such a rewarding place to work, and I built fantastic relationships with residents and colleagues.

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How did you get a care home nurse job?

After a few years I knew I wanted to pursue a career in social care, so I started to look at nurse training.  After no academic study for many years, I returned to education and completed an access course. Juggling a family, continuing to work and attending college was not easy. However, I always had the support of my own family and work family who encouraged me to keep going.

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How would you describe what care is?

This was a question I was asked at my university interview, and it always stuck in my mind.  How do you quantify ‘care’? How do you put that into descriptive words? I always remember saying to them that good care is about how you make someone who needs your help feel while you support them. Helping someone with their daily lives, could be a simple thing, checking they have everything they need and making sure they are ok. Looking back and seeing them smile at you when you are leaving. Their smile is the greatest care compliment they can ever give.  Knowing they know you really cared.

What was your experience of home care nurse training?

I’m really proud that I qualified as a Nurse, and I enjoyed the academic challenge.

Nursing is very much a professional role and as such has high academic expectations and you very much need to be an independent learner. Nursing is a lifelong journey of learning – ensuring that we are update with current changes and implementing best practice.  This is something I really enjoy and am thankful for the skills I have learnt at university to be able to continue to learn and develop professionally. 

Deep down however, something was missing for me and I was not quite fulfilled within a hospital setting. I craved for care at a personal level. I missed getting to know people, understanding them and what is important to them. Building relationships takes time and on a fast-paced ward this was not always possible. I suppose I reflected on what brought me into nursing in the first place.  The love of connecting with people, making a real difference and feeling I accomplished something worthwhile and special.

So, I decided to apply for a role as a Nurse back in a familiar and well-loved care home setting. It was simply the very best decision I have made in my nursing career.

What are your favourite parts of your job in the care industry? 

How many people are fortunate to say they absolutely love what they do? And I genuinely mean it when I say that.

There's pleasure to be found in caring for older people, knowing people trust you and to invite you into their lives is a very special thing indeed. They tell you all sorts of wonderful stories, rich histories and their life experiences. 

Why did you choose to become a Care Home Manager?

Some people think that being nurturing and being ambitious aren’t compatible skills. I disagree. Part of why I enjoy being a Care Home Manager is that I can set the ethos, values and the tone for the whole of a home. It's very interesting when you go into a care home, they are more than just a building, they are a community of people and they have a unique personality, believe it or not.

I pride myself on trying to be a compassionate kind and caring leader.  I’ve got a massive heart, and I love the residents and their friends and families, and I love the team I’ve got here too.

I like to play a big role in the recruitment and interview process here at The Manor House Roundhay. I take time to get to know every member of my team very well, we all need to share the same values and vision and I’m very proud that we’ve built a really strong lovely team here. 

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What skills and experience in care do you look for in your team?

It’s not an exact science because like life, people are unique too. If you are coming for an interview at the Manor House Roundhay, expect it to be a long one. We like to talk and get people chatting, make them feel at ease and try to get to know them. We are really friendly and we have a lot of fun at work. 

Along with essential skills and knowledge we are also looking for people who match our enthusiasm for caring and want to make a difference. You need to have the right core attributes of kindness, warmth and compassion.  

What questions would you ask when interviewing for a care role? 

We have a model of interviewing – via structured interview questions for specific roles within the home.  However, interviewing is getting the very best from people, making people feel relaxed and comfortable is key.

I love the question of tell me about yourself – people will say "what about my career?" I will say – "no, all about you". You'd be surprised at what you learn. Of course, we ask the practical questions of career etc, but we learn so much more about the “person” this way as well.

One thing we do spend a lot of time doing is walking through the home with potential candidates, watching interactions and communications with the residents, families and our team.  This is the greatest test of all and the most revealing, as we are having the best insight into future resident and team engagement.  

Clare Erskine is a Care Home Manager at The Manor House Roundhay

Find out more about the role and responsibilities of a Care Home Manager, testimonials from current Care Home Managers and our current job vacancies.