Meet Shannon - Clinical Nurse Manager at Wytham Lodge

Meet Shannon O’Dea – Shannon has joined the management team at Wytham Lodge, our brand-new care home opening in Burnley.

In this blog, we talk about why Shannon joined Exemplar Health Care and the wide range of opportunities available for training and career development.

My mum worked with people that have learning disabilities and behavioural issues, so I've grown up around the sector. 

I started working in supported living homes caring for younger adults with various different diagnoses. 

Seeing how I made a difference to the quality of life for service users truly inspired me to continue my career in care. 

Since then, I’ve qualified as a Nurse and worked in various roles supporting people with challenging behaviours, mental health, learning disability and physical disabilities.
 

The values that Exemplar Health Care go by are really important to me and it was what initially caught my attention.

I researched the company before I joined, and it was clear that ‘fun’ really outshone.

It’s really important to me that I enjoy coming to work, as we all work really hard.

The company’s mission is to make every day better and that was clear to see. Not just for the people living in the homes but also the colleagues who work at here too.

Exemplar Health Care have higher staffing levels than average, so I'm enabled to make a difference.

It means the care I provide is service user-led and meaningful, which means it truly is person-centred and I really value this.

Before I joined Exemplar Health Care, I was working as a Deputy Manager. I was keen for a change and looking for career progression.

I initially joined another service called Church Walk in Rochdale, about nine years ago.

During that time, I’ve worked across different homes, progressing from Head of Care to Home Manager.

I’ve worked in some challenging situations, but we've worked as a team and with lots of support to overcome them.

My next challenge at Wytham Lodge is to set a new service up from the beginning and I’m excited to see the progress.

There’s lots of great training and opportunities to develop your skills.

I've completed a coaching qualification, which means I’m now an Executive Coach.

Over the years, I’ve completed People Management and Leadership courses, and my development will continue with the Engage Leadership Pathway.

This programme will further develop and enhance my skills, so the opportunities are always available to progress your career, if you wish.

I’m also part way through my Departmental Manager and NVQ Level 5, so it’s pretty hectic.

Each home will complete clinical training specific to individual service user needs, this means you’re constantly developing your skills and putting them to use.

As it’s a new service, the community will be shaped by the service users that move in.

We have a great new, enthusiastic and engaging team that want to make a difference.

We have a multi-disciplinary team approach, so we've got a wide range of people, with a wealth of experience.

When you add that to our high staffing numbers and innovation, I think that’s what sets us apart.

We’re introducing new technology to enhance our care, including a fall detection system that predicts when someone is at risk of falling.

We’ll have a sensory and therapy room, complete with a sensory trolley, so we can move around to support those who aren’t mobile.

We're always looking at more options for assisted technology and how we can improve lives for our service users.

I hope that people will value our person-centred care in its true sense.

Our team is equipped to manage the complex needs of service users with compassion and expertise, ensuring the highest quality of care.

We’re dedicated to empowering people to achieve their personal goals and to maximising their independence.

We’ll support people to do the things they’d do in normal life, by looking at any barriers and breaking them down into achievable goals and steps.

The first six months will focus on developing a great team. We'll build the team, before slowly moving people into their new home.

By doing so, we’ll get to know people really well. We'll have time to find out what they like and dislike, which helps to shape their future.

We’ll focus on service user engagement and the value of ‘fun’, whilst always striving to be outstanding.

I’ll be overseeing the team as well as the people who live with us. Then as we grow as a team, I’ll source different training to help support the team to provide the highest quality of care.

We’re still looking for caring, compassionate and inspirational people to join the team at Wytham Lodge.

This is an exciting opportunity to work in a brand-new home, as part of a new team, so you can shape the success of the home from the very start.

If you’re interested in applying for a role at Wytham Lodge, visit our online job search to see our current vacancies.