When I first started my Aspire journey I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. I knew I wanted to grow, to stretch myself, and gain confidence in my ability as a manager.
Doing this gave me huge benefits for my personal development. I’ve gained bucket loads of knowledge, highlighted by Aspire throughout that journey.
From the outset, Aspire challenged me to step outside my comfort zone. Other have noticed that my confidence has grown, and my ability as a manager proven.
I branched out and took on new challenges, having received great feedback from my manager and RMT along the way. I think my support teams have noticed this too, because they have had no choice but to come to me. And they have all been extremely understanding, showing their own true courage, as I’ve gone on my Aspire journey.
Operations Director Lisa Graham also noticed the difference in my confidence. She expressed her thanks in my efforts after my manager returned to work. And our Regional Managing Director Rick Mears told me he was aware of the things I’m doing, as we sat at the Safeguarding Summit in London last year.
Through my Aspire journey I discovered these strengths:
From this, I have realised that my strengths and values do align with the Dimensions core values, which is one of the reasons I love working for this organisation.
I want to tell a little story within my Aspire story. When I first joined Dimensions, I had only done two support shifts. I had to tell my manager at the time that opportunities had come up for me abroad, and that I was going travelling for a year.
However, I was always going to return to Dimensions. And I asked my manager to keep me in the system, to carry on my career with Dimensions when I got back to England. She did this and kept in contact. I started working during Covid-19, on my return, and got a full time contract in Newcastle with my current locality manager. I was then promoted to ALM within nine months.
As a strong desire of mine is to progress and do the best I can within my job role for the people we support and colleagues, I needed this strength to carry me throughout the Aspire programme. I was juggling a locality by myself whilst doing Aspire. Achieving the actions set out in my personal development is proof of this.
One of my proudest achievements was managing my time and prioritising tasks effectively to achieve the goals set out. One such goal becoming a PROACT-SCIP instructor.
As I’ve said – balancing the Aspire programme while managing a locality by myself for about seven months was no small feat. But I’ve had great support along the way, from Lisa, our OD, other managers and colleagues.
I did more than just stay afloat. I made some really tough decisions within the locality, led with integrity, and kept moving forwards.
Aspire taught me to be both a better, all-round manager and to be more knowledgeable about the locality manager job role. I now understand this role deeper. I know work in a way that is even more person-centred to the people we support.
Acting up as an LM while being on Aspire gave me a front row seat to the impact a great manager can have. For example, employing a new team matched to a person we support – who needs a strong team that can adapt in the face of adversity. As well as making decisions about becoming the care provider for new people we support.
One of our teams are in the process of transitioning a young man from child to adult services, matching him to a great home and other people we support there.
I can see what difference being a great manager can make to people’s lives. But not without a fantastic support team, both with the colleagues I manage and my colleagues and other managers.
Aspire has helped me enormously to recognise this.
