UP CLOSE: With Belong at Home Macclesfield Manager Karen Burgess
Macclesfield Nub News was created on principles of supporting our community.
Part of these values are promoting Macclesfield shops, schools, companies, clubs, charities and more. Now and then, we profile some of these companies and organisations in a regular feature called UP CLOSE, finding out they key people behind the organisation and what makes them tick.
Recent editions include the head of a Macclesfield brewery, the owner of a Macclesfield record shop, and the Headteacher of a high-achieving rural school.
Next up, is Karen Burgess. Karen is employed as the Belong at Home Area Manager for Macclesfield.
Karen has 30 years experience in the care sector, after 21 years as a civil servant in social services, Karen joined Belong at Home as a Community Support Worker in 2011, quickly rising to Senior, and in 2016 she officially became the CQC Registered Manager for Belong at Home in Macclesfield.
Belong At Home is run as a separate entity to Belong Macclesfield, the Upton Priory care village, however, their offices are on the same site.
"Belong at Home is a domiciliary care agency, this is often known as home care or community care", said Karen.
"So we provide support for our customers in the community, to support their independent living.
"We offer personal care to companionship. Companionship is a big part of it, and not many people realise that we do that.
"So anybody that is stuck in and can't get out, that needs a bit of stimulation, socialisation, we provide that support as well.
"We help with shopping, cleaning, anything that enables that person to function within [the comfort] of their own environment."
Belong At Home currently support 43 people in the Macclesfield area, but when you take into account the knock-on effect it will have on their family members, the service in-effect helps hundreds.
Belong At Home Macclesfield covers beyond the town like, Bollington, Wilmslow, and Prestbury.
"We do like to keep a continuity of care for our customers wherever possible, so they see the same people visiting them and can build that relationship with them.
"It is an extended family. We have a lot of communication with family members as well, so we work together with families very closely, especially with our customers living with dementia. We like to involve them, they are the centre of our ethos really.
"At the beginning of our journey, they will ring up, we will have a meeting with them, we will assess that customer's needs with all the support plan choices that we make. Changes can be made if desired. We keep in touch over the first six weeks in particular to make sure everything is going smoothly to make sure there are no issues. With every customer, there is ongoing communication."
Testimonials for Belong at Home - some of which can be read on this link - are glowing.
"The nice things people say about us and our service is worth more than any gift," revealed Karen.
"Putting down on paper what our service has meant to them, and what it has done for their family, means the world to us.
"A lot of the daughters, sons, are so appreciative of somebody calling in to make sure that their family member is looked after, and being able to step away to just have that same relationship with them."
One review made note of how everyone involved in the process, including the family member of the customer, feels valued.
Some reviews have been published at the bottom of this article.
Karen and her staff members are just a phone call away, and Belong at Home appointments can be from 7:30am to 10pm at night, and are not fixed.
The service is very flexible to customers needs, so you can change appointment details with ease.
15 people are employed by Belong at Home, and they are currently hiring in Macclesfield with pay from £11.40 per hour.
When asked about the rewarding parts of the job, Karen had this to say:
"When I came here, it was just like walking into a home from home. It is such a friendly environment, with the support that you get from everybody.
"I get support from my team, we all support each other. It is very much a team environment, and that is not just within Belong at Home Macclesfield and Belong Macclesfield, but every village. [Belong have sites in nearby towns like Newcastle and Crewe].
"The rewarding thing for me is seeing our customers happy, content, being able to live the life that they choose. But also the journey in which some of them take, so Belong opens the doorway to the village."
Whilst Belong at Home is run as a separate service, customers of Belong at Home benefit from the amenities that residents of Belong Macclesfield Care Village, of Kennedy Avenue, Upton Priory, also have.
This includes access to their entertainment venue, gymnasium with exercise specialists, and accessible bath-shower services. There is also a vibrant activities programme for customers to enjoy.
Many Belong at Home customers also frequent the Belong bistro, which is open to the general public too.
Just because they are not part of the Village, does not mean they can't benefit from the Belong Village services.
"We have a lady that we bring in who has her hair done at the Belong salon, and goes to the bistro after", explained Karen.
"One of my favourite moments working for Belong at Home was just after the COVID restrictions ended.
"Obviously the village was on lockdown as part of the restrictions, and we had a customer that usually came into the village for a bath, and could not come in for a while.
"So when she came in for that first time, I stood outside and saw the beam on the face as she walked past. It melted my heart.
"And also we have [Belong at Home] customers that have moved into 24-hour care on the households here at Belong Villages. And one lady who saw the activities we have at the Village for the first time, her face just beamed when she saw me. It is really good to see a smile on our customer's faces and the way Belong impacts them.
"It was that recognition, it was just amazing. It is amazing seeing the customers that you support and help see that appreciation and smile, that you are making a difference to them.
"Since the end of 2022, we started promoting more of the socialisation aspect of what we offer, because people don't know a lot about that.
"When people think of a care agency, you just think of care and personal support. We offer more than that. Shopping and cleaning isn't something that is provided by local authorities, so it is something we can step in and help with.
"A lot of our custom comes from word of mouth. And if any requests come up, we jump on it straight away. We have an open door approach with customers and staff, so they can come straight to us."
Karen is Macclesfield born-and-bred, she went to Macclesfield High School and Macclesfield College.
The South Macclesfield resident explained what she likes about Belong as an employer:
"I like Belong as an employer as they are so supportive, no matter what there are no silly questions.
"I've been in this sector since 1991, and you still come across things that you don't know. And I don't feel daft for asking them. Belong is a home environment in the workplace. Everybody gets along and everyone supports one another."
"I would like to highlight the relationship we have with the Village. The customer journey is really important to us, and they are aware of our other services that we have here. And that they can come and use them, with our support.
"We involve all of our customers Belong at Home in anything that is happening nationally, for example when the King's Coronation was on we brought the celebrations to them. And they could come into the Village and celebrate with others. At Christmas, we even dress up!"
To find more about Belong at Home and how to contact their team in Macclesfield, please click HERE.
You can read their profile on the Care Quality Commission on this link.
Macclesfield: Click HERE to follow Belong at Home on Facebook.
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