Ashley Collins is the Registered Manager of a Supported Living Facility within the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust (SEHSCT). The facility provides 24-hour care and support for frail elderly people and those living with mild or moderate dementia.
Ashley has worked in the social care sector for 18 years.
“When my grandfather was dying and in palliative care, I was impressed by the care he received, which made me want to work in the sector in a role that was about caring compassionately for others, particularly older people — and I haven’t looked back since. It was the best decision I ever made.”
Before starting her career in social care, Ashley worked in the beauty industry, completing Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications in beauty therapy. She also had some GCSEs from school.
Social Care Journey
Ashley began her career in social care in 2006, working in a private nursing home in Newtownards in a dementia unit as a Care Assistant. After a year, she moved to a residential care home in Bangor, supporting people with dementia on a bank contract. She later secured a permanent position in the service.
In 2011, Ashley was offered the opportunity to undertake the Level 2 Diploma in Health and Social Care, which she successfully completed in October 2012. Supported by her employer, Ashley was very glad to have undertaken the course.
“I felt this (Level 2 Diploma) helped develop my knowledge and skills within health and social care. I also recognised support and care was something I was very passionate about and that I wanted to progress and develop new skills.”
Ashley later secured a bank contract with the SEHSCT as a Care Assistant, working weekly shifts in various residential homes. She did this role alongside her permanent job until 2016.
In 2014, Ashley became a Support Worker for Praxis Care, a supported housing service for adults with learning disabilities. She appreciated the developmental opportunities and, through the Apprenticeship Framework, completed the Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care in July 2015.
“It made me look at my practice, my approach towards service users, and I felt the course supported me to become a better support worker.”
Ashley credited supportive team leaders and a good tutor at Praxis Care for helping her complete the Level 3 Diploma, which further developed her knowledge and skills.
In September 2016, Ashley had her son. She later applied for a Support Worker role in the SEHSCT, working with frail older adults, some with dementia, and remained in that role until December 2022. The service’s mission is to support tenants to live well and age positively, reducing the impact of disabilities, particularly dementia.
In 2019, Ashley became a Senior Support Worker. This role helped her gain experience in supervision and staff management. Aspiring to progress further, she began the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management in Health and Social Care (Adults Management), supported by her line manager but self-funded. She completed the course in September 2022.
In November 2022, Ashley successfully applied for a manager position and became the Registered Manager of a Bangor-based service in December 2022, managing a team of 23 staff.
Learning and Development Journey
Ashley has completed all mandatory training through various formats, including in-person, eLearning, and virtual sessions. Since becoming a manager, she has undertaken the following training:
- Dysphagia Awareness – April 2022
- Manual Handling – November 2022 (in-person) to refresh her knowledge and skills using safe and correct manual handling procedures.
- Recruitment Training – January 2023 (in-person and eLearning) to support Ashley in her new role a manager.
- Debriefing Training – April 2023 (full-day, in-person)
- First Aid Training – May 2023 (three days via Zoom and one practical day) to refresh Ashley’s knowledge and skills and support her in the event of an emergency in a professional capacity but also in her personal life.
- Bereavement Training – June 2023 (half-day, in-person)
- Encompass BCO Training – September 2023
- Medication Training – October 2023 (in-person)
- Safeguarding Adults Levels 1, 2, and 3 – October 2023 (Level 3 via Zoom)
- Attendance Management Training – February 2024 (in-person, full-day) to provide better understanding of attendance management policy, how to use and implement the policy in Ashley’s job role.
- Safeguarding Children Level 2 – March 2024
· Managing Challenging Behaviour (MAPA) – April 2024 (in-person, full-day) to refresh personal safety covering how Ashley’s approach could impact negativity, knowing when to walk away, the power of removing yourself to deescalate the situation but also to knowing how to keep herself safe.
· Deprivation of Liberty Training – June 2024 (in-person and eLearning) to help Ashely understand the policy and what is the least restrictive practice and the importance of understanding this
· Dementia Training – October 2024 (in-person, full-day) to understand all the stages of dementia and how to support people at different stages of their dementia journey.
· Finance Training – October 2024 (eLearning)
· Supervision and Appraisal Training – October 2024 (half-day, in-person)
· Fire Warden Training – October 2024 (half-day, in-person)
· Fire Drill and Evacuation Chair Training – October 2024 (in-person)
Ashley also completes online learning via SCIE and the Northern Ireland Social Care Council’s Learning Zone and attends lunchtime seminars. These platforms help her stay updated on legislation, best practice, and sector changes. She has also benefited from attending Social Care Managers Forums, where she first learned about the Care in Practice (CiP) Framework.
“For me, I believe this (CiP) offers a great pathway to get new people into the health and social care sector and develop their skills and knowledge. I like that there is a continuous professional pathway and, as a manager, I want to mentor, coach, and support my staff team. I have progressed from a care assistant role to becoming a registered manager, and I feel very passionate about career progression. The new framework offers a clear career pathway for the social care sector.”
Career Progression
Ashley would welcome the opportunity to complete Level 6 and Level 7 qualifications in leadership.
“I feel it would support me in my current role as Registered Manager. I would also like to complete coaching and mentoring training to support staff within the social care sector who have come through a similar route — moving from care assistant or support worker — to develop and learn, and to show them you can have a good career within the social care sector.”