In conversation with Sarah Burslem
As Autumn starts and the leaves begin to fall, we welcome you to a new episode of the MacIntyre Podcast!
In this episode, we welcome a very special guest, MacIntyre's Chief Executive, Sarah Burslem, who tells us about her career journey and why she still goes to bed every night feeling proud of what MacIntyre does.
The four strands of Sarah's role
Sarah describes how she divides her responsibilities mentally into four compartments:
- The people who draw on our support - remaining true to our history and our values
- Our workforce - recruiting and retaining people who share our vision
- Ensuring MacIntyre plays a part in reimagining what good social care and education looks like
- Everything else - overseeing all the complex factors that go into running a national charity in a heavily regulated sector
What makes MacIntyre different?
Sarah discusses how we can be autonomous and innovative, while working in partnership with other like-minded organisations such as More Than a Provider. We have also been part of the Social Care Future movement since it started.
MacIntyre is a fantastic place to live, learn and work
We explore how people can live 'Gloriously Ordinary Lives', encompassing the mundane and the heart sing moments.
Sarah says:
Good social care is about connection, it's about relationships, it's about neighbourhoods connecting, it's about making a contribution.
Why is it so rewarding to work in social care or special education?
Sarah talks about the career opportunities available to people who may never have thought about this sort of work and have no experience.
I can honestly say there's never been a single day when I've woken up thinking I don't want to go to work... If you're someone who is ambitious and who likes being with people, there's no better career.
Sarah discusses the learning and development provided to all staff, and how career opportunities are not only hierarchical but sideways.
Where else can you bring so much of yourself to work? Where else if you're a talented footballer, or you love music, or you're a great painter, can you share those skills with people every day.
Do listen to this and more on the podcast below.
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All our conversations
You'll find the link to all our podcast episodes (previously known as the Families Podcast) below.