Leading by example - Gemma's journey with Anchor Hanover

Here at Anchor Hanover we’re all about the power of community - communities of older people living their lives in the way they want to, as well as a community of talented people who create welcoming, supportive environments where our residents can thrive. Our blogs share news from within these communities as well as the discussing wider issues affecting retirement living. This week we get to know Gemma, one of our care home Team Leaders.

My name is Gemma Adedeji and I work for Waterside care home in Peckham, London. I’ve been working in the care sector for 14 years with a few different companies and have been at Waterside for the last 5 years. In the last year, I’ve taken on the responsibility of Team Leader. 

Maximising potential

I chose to work in care because I love looking after older people; the stories they tell you are so fascinating, and the residents really are like my second family. I chose to work for Anchor Hanover because of the excellent training opportunities on offer and the fact that I instantly noticed the happiness of all the staff when I walked in for interview. 

I worked in many different companies before joining Anchor Hanover, working in different roles around care. I started out at Waterside as a bank care assistant and my manager saw potential in me, suggested I start as an acting Team Leader to get the feel of the job role and then asked if I wanted to make the step up when the position was available.

Each day is different

Every day is different in care - some days can be quiet, some busy. We can be doing anything from getting involved in activities with the residents, administering medication, managing the home when the senior managers are unavailable and liaising with other healthcare professionals to ensure the highest standard of care. 

The best thing about my job is seeing the residents smiling and laughing at the end of the day and ensuring I’m doing the best I can to make sure the residents are getting the best quality of life possible.

The advice I would give to fellow care assistants is to believe in themselves and go for it! There’s a fantastic team of managers to help support you on your journey within Anchor Hanover and ensure you can make the most of your career. 

Gemma is a Team Leader at Waterside care home in London.

Keen to learn more about opportunities at Anchor Hanover? Visit our careers page to view current vacancies and find out how we can help you to make a difference: https://www.anchorhanover.org.uk/careers/.