Care has always been Heidi’s calling. First starting out as a Nursery Nurse, Heidi McCarthy has worked her way up over a 15-year career, to become Stanley House’s Care Centre Director. Her journey at Stanley House began after she became a temporary Health Care Assistant, while she completed her nursing diploma. She planned to join the NHS until she realised that she loved working at the service too much to leave. Now she’s hoping to encourage more care professionals to join Elysium and experience a fulfilling and rewarding career too.
Hi Heidi, you first joined the service as a Healthcare Assistant. What was it like to shift to caring for residents with Huntington’s Disease and other complex needs?
I was pretty nervous for the first few days, but I received great feedback from a resident early on. I helped him shower, and he was impressed that I wasn’t fazed by doing personal care and just chatted normally with him throughout. He liked that it wasn’t a big issue for me and told my new bosses that I was going to be good at this job.
You had been reluctant to take the role because you were planning to do your nursing diploma. What changed your mind?
They offered to let me work as part of the bank care staff while I was doing my diploma, so I could earn money while I studied. I had two young children, so the flexibility was great. When the nurses had five minutes, they’d let me observe various complex tasks to help improve my learning. Having their wealth of knowledge and expertise to draw on was great for me.
Once you qualified, what was your next step?
After three years, I was planning to go and join the NHS. One day, I was chatting with a colleague who worked in maintenance, and he asked me why I hadn’t considered staying on. I’d assumed there were no jobs, but he spoke to our boss, and she’d thought I wouldn’t want to stay. When I told her I loved the work and would take a job here, that was it!
What was it about the work that you loved so much?
The whole ethos of Stanley House is giving the residents the best quality of life possible until the end of their lives. The residents here are younger than in traditional care homes, and it’s important to remember that the end-of-life care can be very rewarding. We had a young lady here who was at the end of her life who loved animals. We arranged for a lollipop pony to come up in the lift to spend time with her a few days before she passed away. We gave her everything we could at the very end, and it was incredibly meaningful.
How did your career progress from becoming a full-time nurse at Stanley House?
I did four years before being promoted to Lead Nurse at our other service, Bowley House, which had just been built. In 2018, I was asked to act as Deputy Care Centre Director for a couple of weeks as the Care Centre Director was going on holiday and had only just stepped into that role. When she returned, she told me I’d done a grand job and asked if I’d be her deputy. During the next three years, I learned so much, and in 2022, I was promoted to become the Care Centre Director.
You’ve trained and learnt a lot of specialist skills during your career. What kinds of things will people who come to work at Stanley House learn?
We specialise in Huntington’s Disease and other complex conditions, so there’s a lot of training around how to manage residents and their needs. Nurses will learn to deal behaviours that challenge the service, how to feed residents by a PEG tube, and how to use therapeutic techniques to help improve their mental health. I love teaching and upskilling my staff. I see it as my responsibility to pass on my specialist knowledge to the people coming up behind me.
What’s it like to work at Stanley House?
I’m proud that we’ve got a lot of staff who’ve stayed here for many years. I make sure my door is always open to the people in my team, and I’d never expect them to do anything I wouldn’t do myself. For example, I did a care shift the other night because we had staff sickness, so the carers can see that I’ll happily muck in and do the job alongside them. It’s all about teamwork and showing that we are a team that gets things done. It’s not you and me, it’s us.
Do you try to go above and beyond to look after the residents’ families?
We do, and it’s very natural because we care about people. For example, one gentleman who’d been with us for many years was at the end of his life, and his mother wanted to be with him. She’s now in her 80s and lives far away, so we got her a bed so she could stay and be with him during his final days. We got her meals, gave her access to the showers and made sure she was comfortable. When she did travel home, we’d ring to make sure she was home safe. It’s what we do naturally as people.
What’s it like when you have those meaningful moments with residents and their families?
They really stick with you. One of our residents wanted to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding, so we made sure he got to do that. Often my staff will take residents out to family events and come back describing these amazing days and experiences. We try to help people make the most out of their lives with us.
What advice do you have for people considering joining Elysium and interested in career progression?
Elysium is a great company to work for, and there are lots of opportunities. I’ve had plenty of people who’ve started as HCAs and then decided to become nurses. When people ask for that, I put them on the bank staff and encourage them to get their qualifications. My clinical lead here did that, and now he’s in a senior position, following the same kind of career path that I did.
The most important thing is to be proactive and discover what you want. In my team, I’ll always try to help my people achieve their goals by supporting them with training and sharing knowledge. It’s always great to see people you’ve empowered reaching their potential.
How would you advise people already working at Elysium to seek leadership opportunities?
It’s important to talk to your manager about your aspirations. I find some people lack confidence in their abilities, so I’m in a position to reassure them that career progression is possible. It’s all about talking people through the great things they’ve already achieved and the positive actions they can take to make their dreams a reality. For me, it’s gratifying to help other people fly high.
Have you been inspired by Heidi’s career journey at Elysium? If so, we have a range of opportunities across the UK that are just waiting for you to apply for. Now is your time to take the next step in your career and be part of a company who are committed to building a skilled and capable workforce that is motivated and can achieve their career aspirations. To view our current vacancies, please click here.
Is a Career as a Healthcare Assistant Right for You?
If you have a caring nature, enjoy working with people, and want to make a real difference in peoples lives, then becoming a healthcare assistant could be the perfect career for you. From supporting nurses and doctors to assisting service users with their daily needs, this role is the backbone of Elysium.
At Elysium you’ll develop hands-on skills in patient care, communication, and teamwork while building a rewarding and fulfilling career. A job as a healthcare assistant is challenging, meaningful, and full of opportunities to grow. If you’re ready to start your journey in healthcare, we’d love to hear from you.
