A-level students chat with our carers | Meet the team
Meet the team
We employ around 170 staff across our care homes, housing schemes and support office. With so many diverse roles, we would like to introduce you to some of our team. Just click on the roles below to find out more.
Care Assistant
Care Home Administrator
I support the Care Home Manager with all the administration at the home. This includes for example completing forms for new residents and staff, collating the residents’ activity calendar, paying invoices, helping to manage the budget, completing and submitting payroll and liaising with support services in Seaford.
I’m the first point of contact for everyone who walks through the door so I welcome friends and families of residents, doctors, nurses, tradesmen and I take care of all the telephone calls. Some of my colleagues say “I’m the glue that holds the home together!”
This is a very busy role and I have the freedom to complete my work, be with the residents and interact with staff. We’re a good team here.
Jessica at Oakwood Court care home, Haywards Heath.
Maintenance
I take care of the day to day maintenance of the building making sure all the checks have been done, including fire and gas safety and electrical testing. My role also includes tasks such as unblocking shower wells, checking light bulbs and cleaning the bins. There is generally a lot of cleaning involved and ensuring everything is in working order. I also decorate rooms when they become vacant.
I enjoy spending time talking to residents when I’m working in their rooms and supporting the care team. I may have my week planned out but sometimes my work can be very reactive, you never really know what you’re going to walk into in the morning, this is why I love working here.
I have enjoy the opportunity to do activities with residents such as gardening, indoor play and dancing. Outside of work, DIY is my main hobby.
Allan Manalo at Oakwood Court care home, Haywards Heath.
Scheme Manager
I love working with older people and hearing their life’s experiences. I enjoy enriching their golden years - making them easier and more pleasurable.
I've worked in a variety of care settings for many years. Care in the Community with profoundly physically disabled people and some with brain acquired injuries, before I started at Sussex Housing & Care.
Since working here I have been a manager at Saxonwood Care Home and then moved to become a Scheme Manager.
I enjoy providing a high standard of service to residents."
Fiona, Scheme Manager for Ashleigh Glegg House and Falfield in Seaford.
A-level students chat with our carers
What’s the most rewarding part of your job? What do you find the most difficult?
These are just some of the questions Year 12 Health and Social care students at Beacon Academy in Crowborough asked our carers Ana, Maureen and Tom this morning at our live ‘chat with our carers’ event.
Held as part of our celebrations for Care Home Open Week, this virtual chat gave students and families of our residents, an opportunity to hear directly from carers in our homes in Battle, Haywards Heath and Crowborough.
Ana, Maureen and Tom introduced themselves and spoke about their careers in care. Maureen has worked in the sector for over 40 years, Tom started in the kitchen and now fulfils both caring and chef roles, and Ana was promoted to senior carer and is currently studying her Level 5 in Leadership and Management.
Everyone had a different story to tell, but from what they all said, the common thread between them is their passion and drive for making a positive difference to someone’s day, and the satisfaction they get when residents are happy.
The students asked how Covid has impacted on the carer’s roles. We all took a moment to reflect on how the unprecedented situation was very tough but has in fact united our care teams and made us all stronger. With clear policies and procedures to follow, the team felt they had the support they needed from each other and Sussex Housing & Care's management, and now feel a real sense of accomplishment.
Students were also interested to know about the ratio between staff and residents, and the challenges of the role. In addition, we discussed the difference between working for a not-for-profit organisation versus the private sector, and the difference it makes to our values and residents lives. Jenny, daughter of a resident at Saxonwood who was on the video call, shared her personal story about her mother’s care in both not-for-profit and private settings and sung Saxonwood’s praises, which was lovely for us all to hear.
With the success of this event, we will be arranging more ‘Chat with our carers’ in the future. If you would be interested to join us please contact lizzie.gurr@sussexhousing.org.uk.
To find out more about working for Sussex Housing & Care please visit our jobs page.