Goals, gifts, and butties: why our homes are Outstanding places to work

What’s it like to work in a care home that’s rated as being among the top 5 percent of all care homes in England?

Here, three Home Managers, who lead three of Exemplar Health Care’s Outstanding-rated care homes, explain why they’re great places to work.

You get to be part of a close team:

Our homes make sure to care for the carers – and the whole team. Whether you’re a Nurse, Support Worker, Cook, or on the Domestic or Maintenance Teams, our homes work closely together to make every day better for our 700+ residents.

“A quote we often use is: we are not a team because we work together,” says Helen McGowan, Home Manager of Dearnevale, one of Exemplar Health Care’s two Barnsley homes. Dearnevale is rated ‘Outstanding’ by the CQC.

“We are a team because we respect, trust and care for each other.”

You get to grow your career:

Whatever your current level, our homes offer plenty of choices for career growth. At Greenside Court, an ‘Outstanding’ home in Rotherham, four members of its Care Team in the past year signed on to become Trainee Nursing Associates (TNA), a role that aims to bridge the gap between Healthcare Support Workers and Registered Nurses. Becoming a TNA takes around two years, and learners continue working whilst getting a pay increase – and a further pay increase once they qualify as Nursing Associates. 

“Exemplar Health Care has shown how you can move up the ladder, and that it really is possible to grow,” says Greenside Court’s Home Manager, Kim Payne.

You get to work in a fun, relaxed, and open environment:

Care homes don’t always sound like fun places to work – but Exemplar Health Care homes definitely are! We take fun seriously. It’s even the very first of our values. And with residents of very varied ages, from their twenties all the way up to their nineties, you’ll definitely get to enjoy supporting many different kinds of people.

You also get an open working environment. Over at Fairwinds, an ‘Outstanding’ Exemplar Health Care home in Rotherham, they practice what the Home Manager, Tracy Cook, calls an “open door policy.”

It’s not a literal one, due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions, but it means that everyone can feel empowered to speak their mind. 

“This way, both service users and colleagues can voice their concerns, so feel worthy and comfortable and able to speak freely,” says Tracy.

You are appreciated with gifts and bacon butties:

Among our entire 3,400+ strong workforce, we’re well known for regularly getting gift hampers and parcels. These often include items like quality chocolates, and stuff for your wellbeing, like hand cream, facial scrub, soap, and lip balm.

As all our homes have built-in kitchens and a Catering Team, you can be sure that tasty food is never far away. Over at Dearnevale, Helen, the Home Manager, takes treats seriously. For instance, many of its 140 colleagues recently marked their Friday morning with bacon butties!

Careers with Exemplar Health Care

Exemplar Health Care is a leading provider of specialist nursing care for adults living with a range of complex and high acuity needs. When you work in one of our homes, you’ll get a real sense of achievement and pride.  You’ll also make a real difference – and make every day better for our residents.

Our roles offer secure, stable employment, with flexible shifts, full support and training, whether you’ve worked in the sector before or are looking for a career change.

There are also plenty of opportunities to learn, develop and progress in your career, through our in-house learning and development programmes and external training opportunities.

View our job search to find a job near you!