Meet the Team: Q&A with Maria Hampson

In our next Q&A, we are thrilled to introduce you to Maria Hampson, who has been part of the ND Care & Support family for a year and a half. Maria has progressed quickly during her time with us. She started as a Care Worker, then took on a senior role, and has now been a Field Care Supervisor for the past nine months. Here is Maria’s story…

Do you have a background in care work? Can you tell us more about your career journey so far?

Yes, I do have a background in care work. In fact, I have been working in the care sector for 19 years! I have gained my QCF level 2 and 3, and I am currently doing my level 5 in Health and Social Care. I have also worked in various companies over the years, as a senior in most of them. I thoroughly enjoy my job and could not see myself doing anything else.

Why do you care?

I have always been a caring person and liked to look after others. I enjoy knowing that I am able to make a difference in peoples’ lives by working in the care sector. I get a great deal of satisfaction from this and it makes it so worthwhile and rewarding.

What does a day in your role look like?

I am the Field Care Supervisor and my role is very varied. In a typical day I might:

• Complete all the initial paperwork around care packages
• Attend reviews and monitoring visits in the community
• Spot check the staff to monitor and maintain quality
• Meet with Occupational Therapists, social workers, district nurses and other healthcare professionals.

What key skills are required to do your job?

To be able to do my job, I need to be:

1. A people person
2. Caring
3. Organised
4. Patient
5. Understanding

What do you enjoy most about your job and why? How do you feel you are making a difference?

I have always enjoyed caring for others. I like to help people and find my job very rewarding as it enables me to do this and make a real difference to other peoples’ lives. I liaise with service users on a daily basis and help in any way I can, having a positive impact on their health and wellbeing. This is something that I love about my role.

It is good to know that I make a difference to our service users as they can communicate with me whenever they need to. I can help with contacting health professionals and ensuring the correct equipment is used, making sure that their care package is working for them.

What day-to-day challenges do you face in your role?

One of the key challenges I face is having to assist to cover calls when I am able to, going out into the community to provide care. I enjoy this aspect of the role, however, it can be a challenge to balance this alongside other parts of my job, such as keeping paperwork updated and attending meetings with health professionals. It is a balancing act!

What is your proudest moment in work or your greatest achievement in your career, and why?

I’d say that my greatest achievement will be finishing my level 5 QCF as I have worked extremely hard to get this qualification. I’ll be very proud of myself for achieving it.

What advice would you give to candidates who want to go into care work?

Go for it! If you’re like me, you’ll find care work to be a very rewarding career. I enjoy all aspects of care and look forward to meeting new people every day. It is an ideal job if you like working with people every day.

Maria’s Q&A gives a great insight into her role as a Field Care Supervisor and how her career has grown since she started out as a Care Worker. Find out more about a career in care by contacting us today. Tune in soon to meet the next member of the ND Care & Support family…