Apr 2022
The Lakes Care Centre welcome their new General Manager
Shelley re-joins the Trust where she started her care career 27 years ago.
Michelle Hearn (Shelley) joined The Lakes Care Centre in South Cerney as its new General Manager in March 2022. She accepted this position in a move that sees her return to OSJCT, 27 years after commencing her career with the Trust.
Shelley originally joined the Trust as a weekend housekeeper and progressed through the Trust becoming a training lead where she travelled to many OSJCT homes. Latterly she became the Head of Dementia care at Windsor Street Care Centre in Cheltenham, then Deputy Manager and finally Home Manager.
In 2019, Shelley left her role as Home Manager at Windsor Street Care Centre to work for another care provider in Cheltenham. A year into the role and after much hard work and collaboration with the employee team she achieved a solid Good rating at their CQC (Care Quality Commission) inspection (a first for that home). Three years after leaving OSJCT, Shelley returned to the Trust and was appointed as General Manager at The Lakes Care Centre.
Shelley said: “The Trust is a great place to be, with established central teams and so many people to call on for support, so I'm delighted to be back.”
“This wealth of support and experience to call on leaves me free to concentrate on running the home, nurture positivity at The Lakes Care Centre and focus on providing the best care for our residents.”
“The training for our teams within the care home is thorough, and employees have many opportunities to progress, learn new skills or take on responsibilities.”
Another positive for Shelley is the team of Admiral Nurses at OSJCT, which means extra support is available for employees and families of residents who are living with dementia. The Trust is one of only a few care home organisations which has a team of Admiral Nurses, supported by Dementia UK, who oversee extra training as part of an organisation wide strategy to offer high quality care for those living with dementia.
Shelley reflects on what motivates her: “I go to work to care for vulnerable people. It’s important that we create a safe environment for them in the place they call home and focus on giving residents a quality experience each day. I enjoy helping residents to live fulfilling lives. Finding out what makes each individual shine takes time and patience, and I enjoy sitting with them to chat, find out about their likes and dislikes and observe their body language.”
As a people manager, Shelley focuses on being upbeat and positive with team members. This includes explaining decisions, inviting input from the team, and understanding their concerns. She said: “The Lakes Care Centre is our residents’ home, and I want it to be a happy environment. When the staff are happy, the home is a happy one.”
Career development with OSJCT
Before having her children, Shelley had worked in retail. When they were young, she started a part-time role at Grevill House in Cheltenham to fit around her family. As they became more independent, she took on more hours at the care home, and was selected to do management training as part of a Trust scheme to nurture talent.
Over 25 years Shelley gained extensive experience in many roles and homes across Gloucestershire. At one point she was a training lead travelling to homes. Latterly she became a Head of Dementia care at Windsor Street Care Centre in Cheltenham, then Deputy Manager and finally General Manager.
Shelley said: “I’m so pleased to be here, we have a great team here, plenty of support and resources available from the Trust and a very engaged community. This year we plan to host more events and visitors, and invite the community to enjoy this safe, vibrant, and well-run home.”