Team Insights... Our Registered Manager, Kyla Hunter

We'd love for you to find out a little bit more about what goes on behind the scenes here at Bluebird Care Trafford. Here, we feature our Registered Manager Kyla.

How long have you worked in social care?

My first role in social care began in 2001 when I worked as a support worker with adults who had learning disabilities and/or autism.  It was the best career change I ever made and could not imagine working in another sector.

Tell us about your career journey and how you progressed into management roles?

I really loved working in social care. Seeing the people I worked with achieve their goals, develop and learn, was an on-going celebration.  I soon realised that working is social care was a privilege and it became a vocation.  I took every opportunity to learn new skills, train, and study for qualifications.  Within two years I became a Senior Support Worker and had responsibility for managing 2 supported living services; I worked with 12 staff, we provided support to 6 adults with learning disabilities 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  During this time, I also completed trainer qualifications for manual handling, an NVQ assessor qualification and completed my PTLLS which enabled me to train adults in a variety of settings and subjects. 

The charity I worked for wanted to develop a home care service for adults and children with learning disabilities, they also wanted to expand supported living services into another location.  I was approached and asked if I would lead on this development and because I really love new opportunities and thrive on challenges and change - I accepted the offer!  I became a service manager with responsibility for developing 4 new supported living services, a day service (this was an activity-based project where people could share support hours to participate in activities they were interested in such as drama, arts and crafts, and rambling.  We even ran a football team and we also organised and ran a service user social group one evening a week), a home care service (for adults and children) and a children’s service through the Aiming High Project.  Finally, I became a Registered Operations Manager responsible for 250 staff, 30 supported living services, 2 home care services and 3 day services.

What are your day to day responsibilities as Registered Manager?

My day-to-day responsibilities are to ensure that Bluebird Care Trafford meets the standards and requirements set by CQC.  The fundamental standards say how we should meet the government regulations that are covered in the Health and Social Care Act 2008.  There are also a set of ‘key lines of enquiry’ which CQC ask when they inspect us which are; are services safe, caring, responsive, effective, and well-led. My job involves collating evidence to prove this. 

As a Registered Manager, it is really important to have a great team who are onboard with you, who share the same values and have the same vision.  Much of my time is spent working with the team, ensuring that they have the resources and support they need to do their role, so they can contribute to the outcomes we are trying to achieve.  I also do lots of paperwork, reports, data analysis, research, I raise safeguarding alerts, manage complaints, notify CQC and other agencies of concerns.  I would never ask or expect any of the team to do something that I myself would not do, so I get involved in recruitment, training, new customer assessments, on-call, and co-ordinating.  I love having the opportunity to roll my sleeves up and get stuck in with the work.

What do you like best about working with Bluebird Care Trafford?

I have to say it’s the people I work with, and I mean the care team and the office team.  Everyone is so supportive and hold such strong professional values.  There is a real sense of great teamwork; of us all working together and really wanting to make a difference to people's lives.  I think this is one of the biggest things that sets Bluebird Care Trafford aside to other places I have worked.

What is the biggest challenge of being a Registered Manager?

Being a Registered Manager is a challenge in itself, but as I said before, I thrive off challenges.  There are many challenges, but I would say the key ones are keeping abreast of changes to legislation, developing the skills such as organisation, prioritising, and delegating work fairly.  Staying calm in a crisis and being resilient. And finally managing time effectively, being a registered manager often feels that work is never finished, but it’s really important to get a good work / life balance.

What advice do you have for care staff who aspire to care management roles in the future?

• See yourself as on a journey, use every opportunity to learn, train and qualify
• Reflect on your own practice, always ask yourself what you could do to improve, welcome and invite freed back from others – this is one of the most powerful tools you have
• Stay passionate and never lose the focus about why you chose to work in care
• Be kind, compassionate and patient, uphold the social care values and remember that you are part of a team working to achieve the same goals.

What do you do in your spare time to relax and unwind?

Anyone who knows me or has spoken with me will know how passionate I am about animals and nature.  I love nothing more than running or walking through wooded trails and bluebell paths with my dog Nikita (left).  This is when I can really relax and I can also be at my most creative with new ideas. 

I do yoga several times a week and visit my local gym to join in exercise classes.  We have a touring caravan and love visiting the Lake District and Wales where we walk with the dogs. 

My parents, children and grandchildren are very important to me; they all live in Blackpool, so I sometimes spend the weekend there visiting.  Other things I do when I have time include cooking, knitting, reading, and caring for my rescue guinea pigs, Tom and Jerry – and ‘no’ I did not name them!