What’s involved as a Business Administrator in a care home?

What is it like to work as an Administrator in a care home? Administrative Professionals’ Day falls on the Wednesday of the last full week of April and to shine a light on some of the fantastic work they do, we’ve spoken to a few of the amazing people who work in our care homes.

In our latest blog we’ll be finding out a little more about the qualities needed to succeed in a Business Administrator role in the care sector.

Thank you to Emma from Riverwell Beck, Ralph from Sovereign Lodge, Sophie from The Grove Lodge and Courtyard and Alex from Kingston Court for sharing their thoughts.

Emma, who is based at Riverwell Beck in Carlisle, has been with Mariposa for the past 3 years and previously worked in marketing and event management.

What does a typical day look like as a Business Administrator in a care home?

There is no such thing as a typical day and that’s the beauty of the role.

What qualities do you need to succeed in the role?

It’s a fast-paced environment with no two days the same. You need to be a multitasker, be prepared to work as part of a team supporting others but also be able to be self-organised and self-motivated, efficient, calm and friendly. You need to be two steps ahead at every moment.

What do you like most about working in a care home?

It’s the feeling of family. You build up relationships with residents, their families and visiting professionals. It’s a more demanding role than an office-based position but it’s also more rewarding.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

My old CEO once advised us all to KISS, ‘keep it simple, stupid’ and I’ve loved this expression/advice. Don’t over complicate things, keep it simple, whether that be in life or work.

Who has been the biggest influence in your life and why?

I’ve had two strong female leads/role models in my life. One was my old boss who constantly pushed me to progress from a young Office Receptionist through different departments and promotions within the organisation to finally becoming a Partner in my own Marketing and Events company. The other is my wonderful boss now, Wendy Carruthers. Both are strong, confident and professional women in business and that should be every woman’s influence.

What are the three things you can’t live without?

Coffee, my diary and more coffee.

Emma is Business Administrator at Mariposa’s care home, Riverwell Beck, in Carlisle.

Business Administrator Ralph has worked for Mariposa for 11 years and has been at Sovereign Lodge in Newcastle for nearly 9 years.

What qualities do you need to succeed in the role?

You need to be a good listener, friendly, compassionate and patient. You also need to be professional as you will be dealing with GPs, nurses and other visiting professionals. Computer literacy is a must as most of your work is done on your computer.

What advice would you give to other people thinking about a Business Administrator role in a care home?

If you’re looking for a role that will be challenging as well as being rewarding then give it a go. Seeing that you have made a difference to the residents makes it all worthwhile.

What do you like most about working in a care home?

The feeling that I’ve made a difference to someone’s day just by spending a little bit of time talking to them.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Don’t judge people on how they look.

Who has been the biggest influence in your life and why?

My parents because they brought me up to be tolerant, kind and humble. To treat people with respect.

Ralph works as a Business Administrator at Sovereign Lodge, in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Sophie works for the Grove Lodge and Courtyard, which provides residential services for adults with a primary diagnosis in mental health.

What qualities do you need to succeed in the role?

I believe for this role you need to have excellent people skills and confidence – you deal with a wide range of people from staff, residents, and visitors. The Grove Lodge is very different to an elderly care setting with specialising in mental health. Every day is different, and you must be able to adapt to that.

What do you like most about working in a care home?

Here at The Grove we have a good team, we all help each other and support each other when needed. I like that lot of my days involve interacting with residents and I am constantly learning more about mental health.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Here are a few good pieces of advice …

• Remember that happiness isn’t about getting what you want all the time, it’s about loving what you have and being grateful for it.
• Money returns, time doesn’t. Get out and see the world!
• Be yourself.

Who has been the biggest influence in your life and why?

My mam.

My mam sadly passed away in 2017 after a six-year battle with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis a terminal lung condition with no known cause.

A day never went by that she let her illness stop her doing what she loved. My mam worked in rapid response and even in her final years helped others – something that after she passed I continued to do in charity work, raising over 10k for two charities that massively helped my mam and continues to help people just like her.

Losing my mam had a huge influence on how I look at life but in a positive way and taught me so much about myself as a person. Life is so precious, and it should be spent doing all the things you love whether that be doing a job you love or a hobby.

What are the three things you can’t live without?

My 2 border collies
My partner/travel buddy
Always having a holiday booked

Alex recently joined Kingston Court in Carlisle and says the qualities needed to succeed in a Business Administrator role are “organisation, being approachable, prioritising and not panicking under pressure.”

How long have you been with Mariposa Care?

I haven’t been here long, just under 4 months, but it feels like much longer… in a good way!

What did you do before joining us?

I was doing another job as an administrator for a retail company in Kendal. I’ve been doing admin jobs for the last 8 years or so, but before that, mainly bar and restaurant work.

What does a typical day look like as a Business Administrator in a care home?

There’s no straightforward answer really, as every day can be very different. Typically, it’s great. So much fun seeing all the people that work here and getting to know the residents and their families. I write myself a list of jobs every morning to make sure all initial tasks are done for the home, and then throughout the day, it gets added to with all kinds of bits to help keep things running smoothly with the managers.

What do you like most about working in a care home?

The residents, I absolutely love the residents! It’s the first time I’ve ever worked in a care setting, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it’s fantastic. There are so many people with different backgrounds and stories. I take any opportunity I can to go to speak to people and see how they are and what they’ve been up to!

Who has been the biggest influence in your life and why?

My nanna, she’s my favourite person in the world. She’s achieved so much and she’s the perfect role model. Always there for friendly advice and a shoulder to cry on.

What are the three things you can’t live without?

My husband, the best friend I’ll ever have.
My beautiful dog
Chocolatey sweets. Particularly Maltesers!