Registered Manager, Karen Harding is spearheading Agincare’s expansion of its care services to provide live-in care in Harrogate and the North of England.
The new regional head office based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire is the fourth for our live-in care services; joining the well-established South West, Central and South East branches. The live-in care team will soon joined by a home care branch which will also be based in the premises.
The new branch opened on 18th January following the long awaited approval of Karen’s registration by the Care Quality Commission.
Live-in care north’s first Registered Manager
Karen takes the helm of the new regional head office having worked in health and social care for the last 40 years; 23 of which she spent as a Home Care Manager.
Her first job, which she began while still in school, saw her supporting disabled people to live as independently as possible within their own community and paved the way for a bright future as a Home Care Assistant, and later as a Manager.
For Karen, home care was the only job for her. Not only was she able to support others, it also provided the flexibility she needed to raise her two children.
I always wanted to become a manager and get registered but I prioritised raising my children. Working in home care allowed me to do that. It was a joy working with clients and supporting them.
After a short break of 3 years, which Karen spent running pubs, she returned to her home town of Harrogate to resume her true passion of working in care. With her children growing up, Karen took a job as a Home Care Manager; a career she would pursue for the next 23 years.
It was my first office job in care. I was responsible for coordinating a team of care workers and so it was a busy, fast-paced environment. Over my years in that role I have learnt a lot about what good care means – how it is the role of the whole team to support our service users – and I intend to use that experience to make this new branch a success.
Leading the expansion of live-in care in Harrogate, Karen brings her extensive experience in health and social care, along with her knowledge of the sector within Harrogate and surrounding areas.
Karen’s journey to Agincare
With her children now well and truly grown up (aged 26 and 30) Karen is finally chasing her ambition of becoming a Registered Manager.
Following a successful interview with Managing Director Dan Steadman and Operations Director Sam Mayes, Karen was selected to lead Agincare’s expansion into the North.
Since then, she has gained registration and established a local and professional team on the ground, serving Harrogate and beyond.
What’s more, her years of experience in home care has, she explains, helped to introduce a values based culture into the new regional office.
Having worked as a care assistant I feel I am better suited to support the team and the service users. Already I have been out and met the clients and their care workers. That interaction is so important. It speaks volumes about us as a company. It shows that we are a caring, approachable and friendly team, here to support them.
A new addition to the Agincare family
With the branch now open and taking on new clients, Karen is proud to have played such a vital role in providing live-in care in Harrogate and the North of England, and is looking forward to the future.
Being the Registered Manager of a brand new regional head office is exciting. It is amazing to be able to play such an important role in Agincare’s expansion. Agincare is such a great company. Everyone I have spoken to has been lovely. I love it. I’m not going to be going anywhere now until I retire.
Following a year long process to acquire registration for the new live-in care branch from the CQC, Dan Steadman added:
We are delighted that our new Harrogate Branch is now CQC registered to deliver live-in care in Harrogate and the North of England; with clients from Blackpool to Beverley and Sheffield to South Shields.
Since opening, the Harrogate team have all come together to help publicise and support the fledgling branch. The Field Care Supervisor and Care Workers have been out delivering leaflets and Karen has been reaching out to local doctor’s surgeries and groups.
We are all new and we are all invested. We are like a really nice little family.
The future of live-in care in Harrogate
The regional office team supports care workers and clients to make sure both are happy with their situation. Dan adds,
Our team, led by our very experienced Registered Manager, Karen Harding is ready to look after you or your loved ones, providing respite care, dementia support, reablement or palliative care in the home. Please do pop in to see Karen to receive a guaranteed warm welcome and discuss how we might be able to help.
With live-in care a trained care worker comes to live with you in your own home so to provide personalised, one-to-one support on a 24-hour basis.
Based on a tailored care plan, Karen and her team can support you with everything from personal care through to making sure you are eating well and take your medication at the right time. They can also take care of household chores and shopping.
Having been open for two months, the live-in care office is taking on new clients across the region and is also looking to recruit additional care workers to join the growing team.