Jane Burke is a Senior Day Care Worker (Band 5) employed by the Western Health and Social Care Trust (WHSCT). She has been working in the social care sector for 27 years and has been in her current role since 2020.
Social Care Journey
Jane left school after completing her GCSEs and went to work in a local factory, but there were few work opportunities due to a decline in the textile industry. This gave Jane an opportunity to re-evaluate and think about her future career. She was interested in psychology and mental health and wanted a role that made a real difference to people’s lives and provided job satisfaction. As she enjoyed working with people, she applied for a position with a Housing Association and started working as a Residential Care Worker in 1998.
Jane worked in this role for three years, supporting individuals with enduring mental health issues. She loved the job and the group of service users she was supporting. She went through induction and completed all her required mandatory and refresher training. Jane found the training excellent and was encouraged to learn and develop. The training was delivered on the job and in the classroom, where she was trained and supported by staff nurses.
In 2001, a position in the WHSCT in Omagh became available. Jane applied to become a Support Worker, supporting adults with enduring mental health difficulties and behaviours of concern.
Jane’s workplace is situated in the grounds of the Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital. Some of the service users Jane worked with had previously received support in the hospital or from the local community. The service aims to provide individuals with personal development work, social therapeutic programmes, and skills to empower them to take responsibility for their recovery.
In November 2019, Jane applied for a Senior Day Care Worker position based in a Day Centre in L/Derry, again working with adults with mental health difficulties. Jane worked in this role for four years until she needed a better work/life balance, as she was commuting 10 hours per week and had three children. She was able to transfer back to Omagh to work as a Senior Day Care Worker in January 2024. A position had arisen due to a retirement, and she has been in this role since.
As a Senior Day Care Worker, Jane works in a small team of four staff and has a supervisory role. She is now able to “act up” when her manager is not in the office. Jane enjoys the supervisory side of her role, as her team is very motivated and they have a good working relationship with each other.
Learning and Development Journey
Jane completed a Level 3 NVQ in Promoting Independence in June 2005. This qualification included units on promoting effective communication and relationships, health and safety, adult protection, and supporting individuals to live independently. Jane was encouraged by her manager to apply. She found the course very beneficial as it provided her with the knowledge and skills to deliver high-quality, safe care, promote recovery, and empower individuals to live rewarding and fulfilling lives in their local community. This training was provided by the vocational training team, and assessment was based on both written work and formal observations.
Other Learning and Development
Over the years, Jane has undertaken a range of required and developmental training, some of which she requested to support her day-to-day practice. This has included:
- First Aid/CPR
- Medication Management
- Health and Safety
- Quality 2020
- COSHH
- Infection Prevention and Control
- Manual Handling
- Safety Intervention
- Safeguarding Adults and Children
- Deprivation of Liberty
- Equality, Good Relations and Human Rights – Making a Difference
- Information Governance
- Cyber Security
- Datix (Accident and Incident Reporting System)
- Nominated Fire Officer Training
- Fire Safety Inpatient and Fire Awareness
Some of this training has been delivered via eLearning since COVID.
Jane has completed training in Epilepsy and Dysphagia and undertaken the following additional courses to help her meet the specific needs of the service users she is supporting including their health and wellbeing:
- BSL Sign Language (2004): Helped Jane and her team support a hearing-impaired service user. While she found it challenging to learn the language, it significantly improved communication.
- Drugs and Alcohol Training Programme (2005): Funded by the Northern Ireland Drugs and Alcohol Strategy team. This 30-hour in-person course included modules on pharmacology, anti-discriminatory practice, assessment and referral, motivational interviewing, legislation, support for carers, and harm reduction. It enhanced her ability to support individuals affected by substance use.
- Personality Disorder, Knowledge and Understanding Framework (2019): Delivered over three days by The Institute of Mental Health. This was valuable in helping Jane understand how personality disorders impact individuals.
- Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) – Jan 2022: An online course during COVID focusing on managing emotions and social relationships using CBT and mindfulness techniques. Jane found it extremely beneficial.
- Suicide Safety Awareness – July 2022: Delivered in-person by a practice educator. It equipped Jane to identify suicide risk and respond appropriately.
- OCN Chi-Me – Jan 2023: A two-day course qualifying Jane to deliver Chi-Me, a Tai Chi-inspired exercise promoting physical and mental wellbeing. She now runs sessions regularly.
- OCN Drum-Based Activity – May 2023: Enabled Jane to introduce fun, music-based exercise sessions to support wellbeing.
- OCN Healthy Living with Dance – Oct 2023: A dance leadership course supporting physical and emotional wellbeing through creative activity.
In 2023, Jane was offered the opportunity to complete the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Health and Social Care Services (Adult Management), which she successfully completed on 19 November 2024. Initially apprehensive, Jane worried about balancing work, study, and family life, especially as she had not completed a qualification since 2005. However, her discipline and organisation paid off, and she enjoyed the learning process. She attended in-person classes bi-weekly and found her tutor inspiring.
“The vocational team were fantastic. My tutor had a wealth of knowledge and experience and was so inspiring. Before I commenced the course, I was aware of policies and procedures, but the course gave me a greater understanding of these, including the rationale behind the systems and procedures we follow at work. While I was aware of legislation, the course enhanced my understanding and helped ensure compliance. It provided me with a stronger grasp of leadership and management, equipping me to be an effective leader.”
Jane has felt very supported by all her managers throughout her social care career.
“I was so lucky to be supported by managers throughout my career—managers who were very supportive and inspired me to be the best I can be, instilling self-belief in me. I only had GCSEs when I came into social care, and through the appraisal system and supervisions, I was encouraged to continue to learn and develop. I never found appraisals negative but always saw them as helpful conversations about my learning and development. I always came away feeling inspired, good about myself, and motivated in my role.”
Career Progression
Jane is keen to progress in her career. While she is happy in her current role, she would be interested in applying for a managerial position in the future. She knows this would be a significant step up, but with more experience, she believes she can make that leap.
Jane is committed to continuous learning and development, understanding its importance in maintaining the knowledge and skills necessary to support her service users effectively.
Jane loves her role and is passionate about supporting individuals. With her longstanding interest in psychology, she enjoys seeing people progress from hospitalisation to recovery and independence, and being included in their communities.
Many individuals she supports attend courses at the WHSCT Recovery College, which provides educational workshops focused on mental health and emotional wellbeing. These free, co-produced courses ensure a person-centred approach, helping people help themselves.
Jane has attended courses such as “Food and Mood” and “Mindfulness” alongside service users and found them beneficial for both the individuals and her own professional learning and development.
The Care in Practice (CiP) Framework
Jane had not previously heard of the CiP Framework but took the time to explore its purpose. The CiP Framework is designed to support social care practitioners’ professional development by offering two flexible pathways: continuous professional learning and a qualification pathway for career progression. This can be achieved through formal or informal training and ongoing on-the-job learning.
The framework aims to ensure all social care practitioners have the essential knowledge and skills to deliver high-quality, safe, and compassionate care/support. It also creates opportunities for career progression, contributing to a sustainable workforce.