For Diane Bryant, a career in care has been shaped by more than 34 years of professional experience. It has also been shaped by her own experience of having a family member receive care - giving her an understanding of the care journey from both sides.

Now, as the new Registered Manager at Farnham Common House, Diane is bringing that experience together with a clear belief that good care starts with listening to people, understanding what matters to them and supporting them to live the life they want.

Diane's career began in 1987 when she started as a student nurse. After two years, she went on maternity leave and during this time began working part-time in social care, supporting people with learning disabilities.

The experience changed the direction of her career.

“I enjoyed my experience so much that I took the decision to leave nursing and continue my career in social care.”

From there, Diane worked her way through a variety of roles, beginning as a night care worker before becoming a day carer, senior carer and deputy manager. She went on to become a Registered Manager of a learning disability home, where she remained for several years.

In 2018, Diane moved into a Quality Manager role, where she spent the next eight years developing her expertise in quality, compliance and regulation before taking up her new position at Farnham Common House this year.

Her time as Quality Manager has provided extensive experience in ensuring teams meet the required standards and remain aligned with CQC regulations - knowledge she now brings to her leadership role at Farnham Common House.

Alongside her Registered Managers Award and NVQ Level 4 in Health and Social Care, Diane also holds IOSH and Need to Succeed management training. She has completed dementia awareness training and holds the NCFE CACHE Level 2 Award in Awareness of Dementia.

For Diane, qualifications and experience are important, but the heart of good care is much simpler.

“I am passionate about supporting people, whether that is people living in the home or people working within the home.”

She is particularly passionate about making sure residents have the best possible experiences and are involved in decisions about their own home and daily lives.

“I am passionate about ensuring people who live in the home have the best experiences, are involved in the running of their home and enjoy the best quality of life.”

That belief is central to Diane's understanding of person-centred care.

“I believe that person-centred care means treating people with dignity, respect and compassion.”

For Diane, that means recognising that every person is different and understanding the experiences that have shaped them.

“Acknowledging people’s uniqueness, their life experiences, culture and values. Person-centred care is focusing on the person, what matters to them, how that is communicated and shared.”

At Farnham Common House, Diane wants residents to have genuine choice in their everyday lives, whether that is deciding what they would like to eat, how they spend their time, their personal routines or the activities and hobbies they enjoy.

Her aim is to empower residents to make those choices, promoting self-esteem and confidence while ensuring they remain at the heart of decisions.

Supporting the people behind the care

Diane's focus on people extends to the colleagues who work alongside her.

She wants to create a home where colleagues feel listened to, valued and respected, with opportunities to develop their skills and continue growing in their careers.

“I am passionate about ensuring people who work in the home feel listened too, valued and respected, supporting growth and building on skills.”

Her years working in quality have also given her an appreciation of the importance of strong teams, clear standards and good leadership.

For Diane, the values behind that leadership are simple:

“I feel my values are to do the right thing, acting with honesty and integrity.”

A new chapter at Farnham Common House

As she begins her new role, Diane has ambitious plans for Farnham Common House, but her vision is firmly rooted in the people who live and work there.

“My aspiration for the home is to provide outstanding care for the residents, creating a person centred and compassionate environment, maintaining strong connections with family, friends and the wider community.”

And for her team, she wants to create somewhere people genuinely want to work.

“My aspirations for the people who work at the home is to provide a desirable workplace where the team feel that their voice matters, where opportunities and training are offered and actively encouraged.”

With 34 years of experience behind her, Diane is looking forward to bringing her experience to Farnham Common House, with residents' quality of life, dignity and individual choices at the centre of her approach.