Debbie’s lifelong career with Voyage Care!
Debbie is the Registered Manager at Peel House, our specialist care home in Wiltshire. She’s spent 22 years in the social care sector, and, with our support, her career has thrived!
Her story shows a real commitment to making a difference to the lives of others. Starting as a young care worker, she soon grew into a trusted leader. Her inspiring journey shows what can happen when determination is supported by an organisation who champion growth, goals, and passion for care – just like we do!
Debbie’s background and lifelong Career
When Debbie started thinking about her career, she knew one thing was certain – caring for others was important to her. But she also wanted a rich career with progression opportunities.
From a young age, she volunteered in different care settings. By the time she turned 16, she already had her foot in the door and could kick start her career!
Debbie knew one day she would be living in a world where she could thrive in the social care sector. To her surprise, her success was just around the corner. Straight out of high school, she began her professional journey in a private care home.
Here, she gained valuable skills supporting a woman with learning disabilities on a one-to-one basis.
For four and a half years, she played a crucial role in helping the lady regain her independence, enabling her to relearn the skills she’d lost – like walking and eating again.
Witnessing the impact of her high-quality care on the lives of people with additional needs sparked the beginning of Debbie’s lifelong mission.
Wanting to advance in her career, Debbie joined a different provider as a Support Worker. Soon, she was promoted to Senior Support Worker at two residential bungalows and helped out at a local day centre. During this time, she completed her NVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care.
As she gained more knowledge, she was able to introduce specialist support techniques, like sensory sessions, further enriching the lives of the people she supported.
Debbie’s leap to Voyage Care came through a recommendation from a friend who worked for us. Our colleague recommended her for a Senior Support Worker role at Phoenix House. Debbie was keen to pursue a new challenge and applied for the position. She was successful, and, in 2003, her journey with us began!
Her natural compassion and commitment to caring for others meant Debbie was destined for success. Within just 14 months, she’d earned a promotion to Deputy Manager at Phoenix House.
She also increased her experience further by fulfilling Service Manager duties. A few years later, in 2008, Debbie stepped into her role as a Registered Manager at Phoenix House and was achieving the success she’d always dreamed of!
Debbie was asked to move from Phoenix House to Peel House after being specially requested to support another service. Her outstanding work at Phoenix House led to remarkable outcomes, and her expertise was called upon to help Peel House achieve the same high standards.
This move reflects both her exceptional contributions and the confidence others have in her ability to make a real difference to the people we support.
Debbie’s path to success
Debbie credits much of her success to the continuous learning and development opportunities we provide at Voyage Care. Since the day she joined us, we’ve invested in her professional growth through health and safety courses, specialist learning disability courses, HR, and management training courses.
And with the added support of her Operations Manager and colleagues in our services, Debbie’s always been reassured she will achieve greatness!
Since joining us, Debbie’s also completed her Level 4 Learner Manager Certificate, equipping her with the skills and knowledge to lead and manage a care home. Debbie told us that without the support and resources we’ve provided, she might not be where she is today.
Debbie is living proof that with hard work, devotion, and determination, you can drive your career forward and achieve every goal you set.
She says, “the support from Voyage Care has been paramount to my development!”.
Why Debbie loves her job!
Something in Debbie lights up when she talks about her work. For her, it’s more than just a job – it’s her purpose, passion, and what she thrives on every day.
Each day offers Debbie something new and she keeps learning and growing, even after an impressive twenty years in the sector! Leading and mentoring others also helps keep her passion alive. She loves seeing lives transformed, for both the people we support and her colleagues.
Her short-term goal is to keep improving the great care and support her team delivers at Peel House. She wants to ensure they maintain the highest standards of care for the people we support.
She aims to mentor the next generation of care workers and continue to expand her knowledge at Voyage Care.
As our Registered Manager at Peel House, Debbie’s not only helping the people we support, but she’s also helping her team. With heaps of laughter and loads of meaningful moments together, Debbie and the team are each other’s rocks.
Every day, they empower each other to be the best team possible for one another and the people we support.
Since joining the Voyage Care family, Debbie hasn’t looked back. Over the past 22 years, she’s felt valued and supported in all her roles, enabling her to do what she loves most – making a difference to the lives of the people we support.
Making a difference to the people we support
For Debbie, her career growth has been a dream come true but her motivation for working in social care has always been the people we support. She takes great pride in seeing them develop, thrive, and live fulfilling lives. Even small steps, like seeing them smile or connect with the team, bring her joy.
“It’s all about them and what makes them happy,” she says. “Every decision I make is in their best interest and always will be.”
This is something she aims to inspire her colleagues to do, too. She roots her leadership in passion, experience, and empowerment. And, thanks to a collaborative team environment, she’s been able to foster a culture where people receiving care are at the heart of everything we do.
Whether it’s helping the people we support achieve independence at Phoenix House, or stepping into a new challenge at Peel House, Debbie has remained unwavering in her commitment to quality, person-centred care – something which she’s incredibly proud of!
Learn more about our roles!
Inspired by Debbie’s story? You could be our next big success! Voyage Care offers a wide range of career opportunities across the UK. Whether you’re starting out or looking to take your next step, we’re here to help you make a real difference.
View our latest vacancies and start your own incredible journey with Voyage Care today!