Our people
Compassion. Dedication. A drive to make a difference.
Whether born-and-bred in Lincolnshire or having relocated from somewhere else in the country, straight out of university or decades of experience under their belt, people from all walks of life make up our teams at ³ÉÈ˶¶Òõ.
And every single person that works here is united by a shared ambition to make the lives of children, young people and families better.
Here is what some of our staff have to say...
Gemma – Home Manager
I started as a relief worker in 2001 after I had finished university and I worked at 3 different homes to begin with. This was good as it showed me how all the homes worked and a wide range of children with lots of different needs. I then was employed at one of the homes full time and stayed there for a year but carried on doing relief at the other homes when I could.
This enabled me to really understand what residential was about and all the skills and knowledge I gained at all the homes was invaluable. I soon realised I had a real passion for this work and the difference I could make to the children’s lives.
I undertook all the training that I could and took a full taken position at Northolme. From there I was supported by my manager to compete the level 3 and level 4 qualification and the development opportunities were amazing. I worked through the ranks and soon became a level 3. Here I was given more responsibilities and it was the start of my management career. I developed my mentoring and leadership skills whilst in this role and became assistant manager in 2016.
I had opportunities to partake in new projects for residential and was able to offer new ideas about policies and procedures which were listened too and promoted. I felt like I was a part of something bigger and made a difference to the children’s lives. I worked hard and completed the QCF 5 in leadership and management and was rewarded with the opportunity to manage Northolme which is where I am now. I wouldn’t dream of any other career other than residential, I’ve been here 20 years now and it really is one of the most rewarding jobs you could ask for.
Kelly - Team Manager
I started my career with ³ÉÈ˶¶Òõ Children’s services about 15 years ago as a front line worker supporting children and families following a job role in adult offending. I found the job in Children’s Services so rewarding and I knew I had found my calling. I have been in a number of roles in Children’s Services including an Early Help Consultant and a Children’s Centre Leader before joining the Early Help Leadership team. First as a Senior Early Help Worker, then a Practice Supervisor and finally to my role as Team Manager.
I have been supported to progress through experiencing high quality supportive management and training opportunities through regular supervision and appraisals and my continued professional development has included completing a post graduate course in Leadership and management of social workers. The opportunities, training and development and progression that I have received in all of my roles has been excellent.
I am passionate about providing supportive practice excellence to my team so that children and families receive the best level of support and outcomes. For anyone looking for a career in Children’s services I feel Early Help is an excellent opportunity to learn new skills and develop as a practitioner and is so rewarding.
Kirsty – Practice Supervisor, Future4Me
I started my career with ³ÉÈ˶¶Òõ Children Services when I was 19 years old as a youth worker. I moved into frontline case work as an Early Help Worker, where I discovered I loved and had the energy to work with adolescents. I was supported to get lots of experience and training which supported me progressing into the leadership team as a Senior Early Help Worker where I could support staff to support families. I found this role incredibly fulfilling, and loved getting to share my knowledge whilst learning from an experienced leadership team.
In 2019, the Future 4 me Team was established, and I was fortunate to get the opportunity to move across to this new team with a primary focus on adolescents. Joining F4M as a SEHW I was supported to develop my understanding and knowledge around youth justice, with excellent in-house and specialist training. I have progressed my career further by being supported to progress into the Practice Supervisor role.
Anyone who is passionate and committed to working with adolescents I would encourage you to start a career as an Early Help Worker. The role is varied with a diverse and experienced team around you. ³ÉÈ˶¶Òõ offers multiple opportunities to develop your career, whether this is progressing through the leadership team as I am doing, or progressing into other areas of children service such as social care as many of my colleagues have done.