Meet the Team: Q&A with Rebecca Winteringham
This month, we are welcoming some brand new additions to our growing team at ND Care & Support. With the arrival of October came the lovely Rebecca Winteringham, our new Team Coordinator for the Vale of Glamorgan.
Do you have a background in care work? Can you tell us more about your career journey so far?
I first joined the care industry in 2017 as a Care Coordinator and have never looked back. It is single-handedly the most rewarding industry I have ever worked in. It gives me a sense of accomplishment, knowing I have been able to provide a Carer to someone who needs it in the community.
What does a day in your role look like?
Every day I face different challenges in my role and there is absolutely no day the same as the next. The only similarities are that every day there are rota’s that need doing and service user’s who rely on us to meet their care needs.
What key skills are required to do your job?
The top 5 skills that are required for my role are as follows:
- Empathy
- Communication
- Sympathy
- Patience
- Compassion.
What do you enjoy most about your job and why?
I enjoy the wonderful sense of fulfilment I get when I am able to help someone in their day-to-day life. Whenever I leave to go home at the end of the day, if my rotas are complete I know that I can go home with a warm heart and knowing that I have done everything that I can to help someone with their care needs.
What day-to-day challenges do you face in your role?
The main challenge I face is when a Carer calls in sick and I start to struggle to cover their assignments. However, in my two years as a Care Coordinator, I have never left a call uncovered, so despite it being a challenge, I’ve learnt to deal with it and resolve problems whenever they arise.
What challenges does the wider care sector face? How do you feel you are making a difference to this?
I feel one of the main challenges the care industry faces is that it can be difficult to get Carers through the door because you hear all these horror stories about the care industry, with accusations and media negativity. But I feel like I make a difference to this every day, as I will always reassure both Carers and service users and their families that nothing like that is tolerated. I am one of the most honest people most of my friends know and I find that people think I’m easy to talk to as I’m very empathetic and good at putting people’s minds at ease. This has really been put into practice as a Care Coordinator, helping me to break down barriers around the negative press that the care industry wrongly gets.
What is your proudest moment in work or your greatest achievement in your career and why?
In the first care company I worked for, I started as a temporary member of staff and within two weeks, the Regional Operations Manager pulled me into his office and asked me if there was anything he could do to get me to stay permanently, which was a really good surprise. When I handed in my notice 18 months later, my boss was sad to see me go, stating that I had been like his “counsellor, PA and coordinator”.
What advice would you give to candidates who want to go into care work?
Just be yourself and build relationships with your clients and your Care Coordinator. That way, things will be easier for you in the long run and you’ll find great job satisfaction from it.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself
I actually used to be a professional tennis player and qualified for Wimbledon 2006! However, unfortunately, I couldn’t continue due to medical reasons, so I helped my coach for 4 years coaching the younger ones.
What is your favourite quote and why?
I have several favourite quotes, which all give me a positivity boost, as follows:
“Push yourself to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud”
“Dreams don’t expire, take a deep breath and try again”
“You’re never fully dressed without a smile”
“No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and never give up”
We just know that Rebecca will be a fantastic addition to our team! Join us again soon to meet more members of the ND Care & Support family in our Meet the Team Q&A blog series…
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