Meet our Project Lead Claire who was recently promoted into her position. She spoke to us about her journey so far at Changing Lives.
Tell us a little bit about you!
I have a background in care and support work and gained my qualifications in this while working with adults with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour. In my personal life I have always fallen into the 'carer' role. I have four children, three of them adults, who all have different levels of neurodivergence. It makes for a crazy chaotic life at times but I thrive off the mania of it all and live for them, they are my world. I am also from a household of gamers and geeks!
What first brought you to Changing Lives, and how has your work here evolved over time?
I first came to Changing Lives as a Peer Researcher and learned a lot about the support they offer in the accommodation services and felt it was something I needed to invest my time in. Initially I was passionate about supporting men as I lost my brother to suicide and felt there just wasn't enough support for them. I took on a role as sessional at The Fells and from my first shift I was hooked. I very quickly took up a temp role covering maternity and then into a permanent full time support role. I have been a Senior Support Worker in previous job roles and felt certain that is where I wanted my progression to take me. When the opportunity presented itself, I applied for the Senior Support Worker role and was successful.
I did feel like the Project Lead role was out of my grasp and did not think it was something I would ever be able to undertake. A Team Lead role became available which bridged a bit of a gap between the Senior role and Project Lead role. I had the opportunity to take on Project Lead tasks with support and quickly gained confidence. I was also lucky to have the opportunity to support across the services in Durham for a few months before the Project Lead came up, which further advanced my knowledge and helped with my confidence.
What experiences within (and outside of) the organisation prepared you for taking on this leadership position?
For many years I was a single parent and wanted to do something my kids could be proud of. Once they were at school, I was able to do an Access to Nursing course, I gained employment and gained an NVQ level 3 in Health and Social Care specialising in learning disability. In the same employment I became a Senior Support Worker. I then moved on to a residential care home where I became the nightshift Senior Carer. I have had the opportunities in previous employment to lead small teams and I am almost at the end of an NVQ in Team Leading.
Can you give us an insight into what being a Project Lead in Durham involves on a day-to-day basis?
Every day is very different. I have three projects I oversee all with very different complexities and people we support with different needs. A typical day I will try and reach out to all projects where I can and get updates of what has been going on and if there is anything I need to action or support with. I always begin the day with a 'to do' list - I do not always get through this depending on the day and the challenges.
What are your priorities as you step into this role, and what impact are you hoping to make?
I have realised my priorities have shifted. I need to understand what we need to achieve for reporting purposes, to meet KPI's and to meet our Service Level Agreements. From a financial perspective, I need to manage the projects in a cost conscious way and ensure the teams are equipped to support in the best way possible. I hope that we can make a positive difference in the people we support and to remember to also celebrate those little wins on the way that lead to the bigger successes. I also hope to have a positive impact on the team and maintain a positive work environment where all feel supported.
What achievements - big or small - are you most proud of so far in your career at Changing Lives?
As a support worker, being able to gain the trust of the people we support and having them allow me to support them.
Also a recent team building day when we climbed Catbells and I made it to the top! I am short, a little overweight and not very healthy so I was ecstatic when I made it to the top 😄
