‘Be honest with yourself:’ How Georgia went from being a support worker to a registered manager – in just six years!
Did you know that at Lifeways you can progress from an entry-level position to become a registered manager of a supported living or residential service– all without switching jobs or spending any money on qualifications?
And that’s not just a theory.
At any given day, many of Lifeways’ team of 11,000 colleagues are completing training and qualifications, such National Vocational Qualifications’ (NVQ) diplomas in adult care.
At Lifeways, these qualifications are often being pursued by support workers and team leaders.
The advantage of taking these qualifications with Lifeways is the ability to ‘learn while you earn.’ This means you can study while in your current role at full pay, with no cost to you as the learner.
Nationally-recognised qualifications like Adult Care Worker levels 2-5 – which you can complete while in your role at Lifeways - help individuals to be eligible and apply for more senior positions, including the positions of service manager or registered manager.
These management roles put you in charge and responsible for the day-to-day running of one, or several, of the 1,500 services operated by Lifeways.
So what does career progression at Lifeways actually look like?
Georgia, a newly-registered manager is just one example among many Lifeways colleagues who’ve taken the step to upskill on the job.
Her very first job
In Georgia’s case, her starting role as a support worker was her very first job after she left college.
“I knew I wanted to make a difference to people’s lives,” says Georgia.
“During my time as a support worker, I knew I wanted a long-term career with Lifeways, and I wanted to climb the career ladder,” she adds.
Georgia’s since worked for Lifeways for six years.
Soon after starting her first role as a support worker, Georgia was promoted to the next step up – as team leader. During this time, Georgia found herself learning new things every day, such as leadership skills.
As a team leader, Georgia took advantage of Lifeways’ multiple training courses on offer, and after two years in the role, built up the knowledge and courage to apply for a service managers’ post.
‘The time was right’
“Because I learnt so much whilst being a team leader, I knew the time was right to apply,” said Georgia.
Service managers at Lifeways manage team leaders and support workers at individual services, such as supported living or residential services.
Georgia was successful in the service manager interview, and in her new role managed different supported living services around Nottinghamshire.
‘It’s so rewarding’
“I was always meeting new people, and being faced with different challenges every day,” she says.
“But I go home at night, knowing I’ve made a difference to people’s lives, and it’s so rewarding.”
Never resting on her laurels, Georgia then undertook with Lifeways a level 5 NVQ in Management and Leadership.
After completing this qualification, Georgia was now qualified to become a registered manager – and early this year took up her new post.
Today, Georgia manages two supported living services in the Nottingham area, which support adults with varied and complex needs.
“For anybody who is wanting to progress within their career, especially health and social care, I would tell them to come to Lifeways,” says Georgia.
“Somebody is always there to support you and keep you on the right track and I think that’s important.”
Five handy tips
Georgia’s shared with us five handy tips for career progression. These are:
- Be committed
- Learn from the journey (no two days are the same!)
- Have fun along the way
- Think positive
- Be honest with yourself and never hold back!
Thanks for sharing, Georgia!
About Lifeways:
Lifeways is the UK’s largest team of support professionals who provide support for adults living in the community.
As the supported living sector’s largest team of professionals, Lifeways’ extensive experience and national reach mean we deliver extraordinary support to adults, enabling them to live fulfilling and independent lives in the community.
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