Challenged to take on a failing Care Home, that was breaching regulations and 'Required Improvement' from CQC, within 4 months of my role start, I led rapid improvement to achieve a rating of 'Good' in a follow-up inspection. In 2020, and at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I made the brave decision to lockdown the Care Home for the protection of both staff and residents. We created a 'Tent City' within the grounds, and worked with those carers who were willing to leave their families behind to shelter with the residents through lockdown and beyond. As a result, we have kept out care home free of COVID-19, and enabled our most vulnerable to survive past such a terrible time for the UK. Our work was featured on This Morning with Eamon & Ruth, BBC National and World-wide News, Local News (South Today) and ITV Meridan, Sky News, Swedish TV and Al Jazeera News. We were also featured in the Guardian, Telegraph, Mirror, Daily Mail, Sun and Hello Magazine.Prior to 2020, I also drove quality improvement across every aspect of home operations. I have conducted Health & Safety Assessments and Reviews, passed Environmental Food Agency inspections, Fire Inspections and sustained Good ratings at CQC annual and surprise inspections. As a result, I have grown the business from 15 to 20 full-time residents and achieved a positive reputation in the community and waiting list for entry. I believe in investing heavily in staff training, coaching and development beyond CQC statutory requirements, and form a progressive internal culture in which our residents are our extended families, and the home is a nurturing, caring setting. I have also supported our sister home in Cornwall with HR, Staff Development, Training, Quality and Compliance work, modelling our successes for their settings.

As Care Manager for a new start-up care provision, I shaped the vision, ethos and strategies that guided quality care practices. I led the set-up of day-to-day business operations, including recruitment, training and development of care teams. I led a rapid and progressive approach through business start-up to establishment, with complete focus on CQC best practices.

Hired by Allied Healthcare to manage independent care provision within a community-based facility, with focus on driving continual improvement and performance; I was pivotal in achieving quality-centric improvements within 2 primary care schemes. I developed and implemented key strategies that achieved CQC satisfaction and tangible improvement in care delivery.

Recruited to launch a brand-new care provision, ensuring high-quality standards from launch, I was pivotal in implementing the robust policies and processes to achieve CQC standards and the provision of person-centred approaches. I made key connections to clients, colleagues and local care provision to build service capacity, and led rapid and regular quality reviews and assessment. I held full oversight of quality, policy, procedure and audit processes. I developed strategies to enable the growth of the service, without compromise to care operation or quality requirements. I built strong links with Social Care Commissioners and CQC representatives, responding to feedback to continually drive best practice in care activities. I led a 24/7 provision, with complete focus on service user health and wellbeing, and the delivery of quality care services.

Successfully delivering training on Medication, Moving & Handling, Health & Safety, Infection Control, Food Hygiene, Dementia and Safeguarding to homes across the region, in line with CQC training requirements, both as full-courses and refresher training; I used engagement techniques to capture the attention of colleagues and created targeted training and development plans.

Promoted to Branch Manager, leading rapid improvements in policies, processes and standards, working with CQC representatives to achieve a 'Good' rating following inspection, I demonstrated a complete commitment to quality assessment, review and continuous improvement, driving best practices were possible. My work ranged from developing due diligence for safer recruitment, through to implementing targeted training plans to meet CQC standards. I worked with service user feedback to continually improve services. I worked with Regional and Business Managers on branch performance, as well as associated commercial aspects of home operations.

Hands-on as a Care Coordinator, providing all operational guidance to the Branch Manager, my role centralised on the administrative and quality support of operations, including conducting risk and quality assessments on activities. I worked on improving policies and processes to improve CQC rating and to sustain ISO accreditation. Day-to-day, I was hands-on in scheduling care provision, and supporting business development, retention and marketing activities.