After moving to the UK in 2003, Jiji completed the Adaptation Programme to gain her pin number and joined Bupa as Registered Nurse. Since then, she’s progressed through various roles and she’s now the Home Manager at our Colonia Court Care Home.

 

I worked as Nurse in India and the United Arab Emirates before moving to the UK. In 2003, I was given the opportunity to come to the UK and complete the Adaptation Programme to gain my pin number. I completed the programme within 3 months and started working as a Registered Nurse at Colonia Court as soon as I received my pin. I progressed to Junior Sister, Senior Sister and Clinical Services Manager. Then in 2015, I was promoted to Deputy Manager, and we recruited another Clinical Services Manager to work alongside me. In June this year, the Home Manager retired, and I was offered the position. I’ve now worked at Colonia Court for 19 years and I can’t believe how far I’ve come since I first joined!

 

 

 

 

 

I sort of fell into it really. Bupa gave me the opportunity to complete the Adaption Programme so I could practise as a Nurse in the UK, and I thought I would try working in care. Before working at Bupa, I’d never worked in care home before. I was worried that I’d struggle or that it wouldn’t be the right fit for me, but I didn’t need to worry at all. I fell in love with care straight away and I can't imagine doing anything else now!

 

 

There’s so much more autonomy as a clinical professional in care – there’s no doctors to lean on or to take instructions from, it’s down to my skills and knowledge to decide what is best for our residents and I love that. I’ve had loads of opportunities to go back to working in a hospital setting but I don’t want to. I feel that my skills are best to suited to this environment and working in care has been amazing for my career. I don’t think I would have progressed as quickly if I’d worked in a different setting.

 

 

Since working at Colonia Court, I’ve completed an Undergraduate course in Long Term Conditions in Older People and a mentorship through Anglia Ruskin University. I also completed a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care. I’ve been lucky – I’ve always been encouraged to develop my skills and given the opportunities to do that. All the courses I’ve done have supported me to get where I am today.   

 

           

I encourage them to complete courses and training – I think it’s important if people want to progress. It supports you to develop the required skills needed for the next level and builds your confidence. I make sure that my team are given opportunities to complete NVQs, and where they don’t have the facilities, I’ll loan them a laptop or give them time in a training room to complete their studies. I’m always on hand for any questions they have, or if they need support in a certain area, I’ll often host small talks on the subject or reach out to teams across the business to support.

 

 

If people are looking for progression or development, I’ll ensure there’s courses on offer or training in place to help them achieve their aspirations. If people are looking for hours to fit around their personal lives, I’ll work with them to ensure they get the hours they want. I’m proud that at Colonia Court we’ve not required agency support for a long time. We have a long-standing team here, and because we’re able to offer flexible working patterns, we’re able to adapt to ensure that people get a good work-life balance. I want other people to love working here as much as I do, and I’ll do everything I can to make sure that happens.

 

Has Jiji got you thinking about a career in care at Bupa? Register your details below and one of our team will get in touch with you to discuss further.