CareLineLive’s Home Care Hero of the Year Award, 3rd place Emma Courtney

Emma Courtney, the Deputy Manager at Responsive Care Group, was nominated by the Registered Manager and Director for CareLineLive’s Home Care Hero of the Year Award. Emma achieved an impressive 3rd place in the award, a recognition she truly deserves. Discover more about Emma’s inspiring journey to becoming an exceptionally valued Deputy Manager.

Sophia, why did you nominate Emma for CareLineLive’s Home Care Hero of the Year Award?

Everyone needs an Emma in their life! It sounds like a cliche, but in the constant chaos Emma is the glue that holds us together she’s calm and sensible, the calm in the storm, she is a merit to everyone, she’s wonderful.

Emma didn’t come from a domiciliary care background and for me it’s not about qualifications or positions people have had in the past, it’s purely about personality. You can teach people anything but you can’t teach personality, it’s a certain way to be. I’ve had very well qualified managers in the past but they haven’t made the grade when it comes to the crunch. If you have a person that is willing to learn and to engage and they start from the bottom, they grown into the job.

When Emma first joined the team, she dedicated several months to shadowing her colleagues, carefully observing their work, and learning the ropes. Gradually, as she became more comfortable, she began to assist the team, and her presence became a source of support and encouragement. Eventually, she was officially introduced as the new deputy manager. This transition not only helped to engage everyone but also fostered a warm sense of collaboration among the team.

We have a good relationship with all of our staff, I’m laid back and outcome driven and that flexibility really works. During periods of multiple inspections, whether related to immigration, CQC or various frameworks and contracts, it is great that everyone is fully engaged and onboard with what needs to be achieved.

Emma was offered a pay rise in April but chose to decline it. Instead, Emma expressed her desire for the funds to be reinvested into the organisation to support the development of new care coordinators and staff.

Emma, what was your reaction to your nomination and success in the award?

I was shocked and delighted, I couldn’t believe it.

What made you consider being a working in health and social care and in particular your role as deputy manager?

I was offered a position with Sophia who said that she thought that I had the skills to do the job. My background includes working with animals, teaching and roles in care homes, so I’ve always been in some kind of caring role, however, domiciliary care is very different and I prefer it.

In light of being new to the industry I wanted to get to grips with it so I shadowed lots of different roles from the carers to care coordinators to finance, which gave me experience and a feel for domiciliary care. It’s important to understand where everyone fits into the organisation because you can’t tell someone to do a job if you can’t do it yourself, you have to understand all roles. I did it in a very short space of time, around two to three months. It gave me the insight to find my feet and made me reflect on what I could improve and develop if needed.

This new experience made me realise that as family and people get older you want to nurture them and this is the driver that gives me the passion to stay and keep going.

What does the role of deputy care manager entail?

Gosh, every day is different, from supporting my carers, our clients and sometimes my manager Sophia as well. I’m there for everyone, the soundboard for people. There isn’t much that I don’t turn my hand to for example, finding information and helping with all aspects of the organisation. It’s a team effort in everything from the bottom to the top. If anyone is struggling we work together, we are a family. Sophia is the big boss and sometimes I’m called the little boss.

What aspects of your role do you enjoy?

Making a difference, I think it’s the teacher side of me that likes to see people develop and achieve, it’s not necessarily about succeeding, I just like helping people. I really enjoy helping people to get where that want to be in life.

What are the challenges you face in your job?

There are a lot of challenges including beating myself up about things, for example not finishing things as quickly as I’d like to. I think we’re working in a challenging industry and we can’t deny that things are constantly changing. I have a ‘to do’ folder of things that are not fire-fighting emergencies but perhaps things I find that challenging, I keep looking at it and have to be in the right frame of mind to tackle the tasks in there.

How do you feel about such an accolade?

In the nomination Sophia said that, “Emma, our incredible Deputy Care Manager, has been a cornerstone of our team for over three years. Despite facing her own health challenges, she’s unfailingly reliable, compassionate, and dedicated. Emma goes above and beyond to ensure care is delivered, supports carers and clients with kindness, and inspires a positive culture every day. Splitting her time between working remotely in the Scottish Highlands and driving down for two weeks each month, she shows extraordinary commitment, even with her degenerative spine condition. Emma is the heart of our team, always putting others first, and we simply couldn’t imagine our business without her”.

That makes me emotional to be honest. I don’t do awards and all I can say this thank you. I don’t do my job for anything, I just do it and it’s nice to be recognised. There are certain things that I struggle with because of my ill health and it’s heart breaking not to be able to do the things that I once could. The award is so unexpected and I just want to say thank you.

What do you like to do in your spare time away for work?

My dad used to call me a sponge as I like to learn new things. I suppose my hobby is self study, I’ve gone back to photography now I’m living in the Scottish Highlands. I’m not as active as I once was but I still turn my hand to tasks like putting an electric board together or plumbing something in if I can. Between myself and my partner we’ve converted around six or seven vans over the years, but self study is definitely what I do the most. I learn from all sorts of sources from YouTube to magazines.