Lesley-Ann Jones, Registered Manager at Golden Touch Home Care in Bewdley, Worcestershire, nominated the multi-talented Rachelle Hornby for CareLineLive’s Everyday Home Care Hero Award. The judges were particularly impressed by Rachelle’s enthusiasm for embracing technology and her forward-thinking, progressive approach to care and her colleagues.
Here’s what Lesley-Ann said about Rachelle:
“Rachelle has single-handedly set up and inputted all the client and carer information on our newly installed CareLineLive system. She has trained the carers in the use of the app (on-going) and continues to try and install all the carer and client information whilst covering our client calls on our old system and providing a person centred service to all.”
Rachelle, what was your reaction to winning CareLineLive’s Everyday Tech Hero Award?
I was very surprised to win the award as I’m no IT specialist, although for the last 26 years I have worked for Golden Touch Home Care, I have been called upon as the unofficial tech go to.
What is your role at Golden Touch Home Care?
My role with Golden Touch Home Care is Care Coordinator/Office Administrator/Deputy Manager when the Registered Manager is not here, as we are a team of two staff in the office.
What does a typical day look like in your role?
My typical day is stressful if I’m brutally honest, as we are only a small agency with minimal staff but a fair few hours of work to cover on a weekly basis, so I start my day with strong coffee!
In addition to my core responsibilities, I’ve often found myself juggling a variety of tasks to keep the office running smoothly. Whether it’s troubleshooting a computer/printer issue, coordinating schedules or stepping in to help with urgent matters. I try to ensure that everything is handled efficiently and with a positive attitude.
What aspects of your role do you enjoy?
I enjoy making our carers feel valued and that they make a huge difference to the people that they provide support to. It’s certainly a role that demands flexibility and adaptability, as no two days are ever quite the same. Beyond the administrative duties, I’ve also taken it upon myself to support colleagues wherever possible, often becoming the bridge between staff, clients and management to ensure seamless communication and service delivery.
What challenges do you face in your role?
Despite the challenges, I find great satisfaction in knowing that my efforts contribute to the overall success of our team. The camaraderie and mutual respect among my colleagues make even the busiest days rewarding and I take pride in being a dependable member of our tight-knit office.
How does CareLineLive’s technology help you in your role?
I am still finding my way around CareLineLive, but the support from the helpdesk and the variety of ways we can contact them if we have a query is great. The system is a major upgrade from our old one and hopefully it will ease some of the stress created by the antiquated system we have been using. The fact that the carers no longer have to write an essay in our old paper care plans also saves them time and allow them to be more hands on with our clients.
We are also now able to track our carer’s whereabouts which enables us to make sure they are safe while out working. The system also allows us to invoice our clients with exact call times and pay the carers accordingly which we could not do on our old planning programme.
Embracing new technology has certainly come with its own learning curve, but I’m determined to master it for the benefit of our team and the people we support. Every day brings fresh opportunities to develop my skills further and to help streamline our operations, which is ever more important in such a fast-paced environment.
How do you switch off after a hard day at work?
To help me switch off at the end of a usually stressful day at work I like to go for a walk with my family or go away in our motorhome for the weekend to unwind and the majority of the time I am out on my motorbike taking in some sweepy Welsh roads somewhere and stopping to enjoy the views with coffee and cake.
It was lovely receiving recognition for my everyday role and has inspired me to keep doing what I’m doing!
