Taylor | Faces of Futures
Taylor, Service Manager at Dickson Avenue/Finavon Terrace Housing with Care services
Hello, I’m Taylor and I’m a service manager for Hillcrest Futures’ Housing with Care service for older people at Dickson Avenue & Finavon Terrace in Dundee. I joined Hillcrest in 2020 as a support worker and became the service manager in August 2022.
The services I oversee are predominately older people services and we strive to provide excellent care to the people we support. We encourage independence and the opportunity for service users to speak freely and express their wishes and preferences. We aim to maintain each individual’s capabilities within their own homes and support them to carry out daily tasks and communicate with the right organisations to ensure that living at home can last as long as possible.
My specialism is older people services. I have worked in the care sector for around 13 years and most of this has been working with the elderly. I chose to work with elderly people because I have passion for ensuring people can live a happy and comfortable life in their twilight years. Being able to support and guide elderly people is very rewarding and you can always learn many things and hear amazing stories from older people.
As an organisation, Hillcrest Futures is forward thinking, and I really enjoy being part of a team that helps provide the best possible outcome for the people we support. Team work within our services is vital. Being able to come together and provide the best care is at the forefront of our service offering.
Since joining Hillcrest, I have moved up the career ladder gaining all the knowledge I can, although every day is a learning day! I have been given great opportunities to continue on my career path and with the right guidance from my line manager I take all that I can on board and strive to continue my professional career. Achieving a healthy work life balance is also important to me, and Hillcrest is great at providing opportunities for maintaining this allowing flexible shift and working patterns. I’m able to keep my work/life separate so when I am finished for the day I can turn off my ‘work head’ and unwind.
I think that for anyone looking for a role in the Care sector, one of the biggest qualities to have is the passion and desire to provide amazing care to the people who need it most. This job can be very demanding not only physically but also mentally and you must have the fire in your heart to support people to the best of your ability.
Although challenging sometimes, the job is also very rewarding and it’s an amazing feeling to know that you have helped many people and see the appreciation they have for you.