24 September 2020
Role Model – Ebrahim Razavi
Ebrahim Razavi has been a Care Assistant at Maycroft Manor, our care home in Brighton, since 2014, recently being promoted to Team Leader. After winning Dementia Carer of the Year at the 2019 National Dementia Care Awards, we spoke to Ebrahim to find out what it means for him to be a Team Leader and what makes him proud to work at Maycroft Manor.
What does a usual day at Maycroft Manor Care Home look like for you?
I come in excited and looking forward to spending time with the residents living with dementia, making sure they have been delivered exceptional care and medications are administered safely and in a timely manner.
I like that two days are never the same, it keeps the mind working and I am always looking to make a difference to the wonderful residents we have here.
I’m in charge of making sure the team is split across the floor to ensure an even skills balance to maintain the exceptional level of care given. I encourage the team to do spontaneous activities, whilst leading them myself. Anything from walks around the garden to baking and exercise classes to always ensure residents are engaged and active. I am always on hand for everyone including the seniors throughout the day and during medication rounds to offer support and guidance.
What does the role of Team Leader entail?
I’m here to support the Dementia Care Manager at the home. I’m also in charge of looking after the team of Senior Carers and Care Assistants, ensuring that high-quality relationship-centred care is provided. I like to ensure the team are happy while being someone they can always come to if they ever needed support or advice with anything, not just people in my team but across Maycroft Manor.
Do you have a personal highlight in your role?
A personal highlight for me is knowing I’ve made a difference to the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our society. Another highlight is being able to work with the colleagues I do in delivering the care we do. Seeing all the happy faces when we talk, sing or dance. I love that I can always be me whilst ‘working’ – I say it with quotations, as there is a saying I have always believed and that is ‘find a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.’
What makes you proud to work at Maycroft Manor Care Home?
I’ve always been proud to work at Maycroft Manor. Here I was given the opportunity to start in care, and for that, I will always be grateful. I’ve also been given other opportunities because they saw something in me that maybe I didn’t necessarily see in myself. Most of all, it’s seeing all the hard work that goes on here and behind the scenes to ensure that everyone who comes into our care will receive fantastic care and have a rich and fulfilling end to their lives.
What is the most important part of your role?
The most important part of my role is ensuring that the residents and team are safe and happy, to lead by example and always help, encourage and teach. This is a new role for me and will take some time to adjust to and in time make the role my own. I’m here to support not to dictate. We’re a family and that’s how it will stay.
How do you ensure the standard of care is high-quality at Maycroft Manor?
Good communication is key to this, as care varies from resident to resident. Different carers use different approaches and it’s about feeding that back and all learning from it. In care, you are always learning as people’s needs progress so it’s finding what works for that resident. It’s also good to attend different training that is available to gain a broader knowledge and understanding, but for me, ultimately, it’s putting yourself in that situation. What would you want if it were you or a loved one in that situation needing care? Live your life in the residents’ shoes, not in yours.
What qualifications do you need to be a Team Leader?
You need an NVQ3 for the team lead role, but for me, you need to be a strong character and someone that will embrace and challenge change. You need to be able to work under pressure and remain professional at all times. On top of that, you have to be able to lead by example and be willing to learn and teach and have a passion and fire in your belly to continue to promote, encourage and deliver what you want to see across the board and champion the needs of the ones we love and care for daily.
How do you spend your free time?
It might be a cliché but for me, there is nothing, and I mean nothing, I love more than spending time with my beautiful family; my son Roman, my daughter Zaaira and my Fiancée Chelsea. They are my world. I want to make my children proud and show them if you put in hard work and dedication, then you can get where you want in life. Watching them grow and progress is something I would not ever want to miss and that is why, whenever I have free time, it is solely reserved for them.
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