Christine McNamara - Founder:
With over 34 years of experience in the Health and Social Care Sector I am well placed to offer the kind of service that I’ve always wanted to provide whilst working for other employers.
I started out working for a London Borough in a department which is now called ‘the initial assessment team’. I have had the privilege of seeing the various disciplines of social work at first hand and I was drawn to the care for the elderly specialisation. I was inspired, and still am, by the life stories of seemingly ordinary folk. I’ve been fascinated to learn about their life histories and these have helped to shape my views and to inform my belief that the elderly, in very many ways, have much to offer younger generations and we can certainly learn from them. Even those living with dementia. Although living in the present might be a challenge and they might need a little help, they are often blessed with clear recollections that they are eager to share.
When I left the local authority, I moved into the private sector, working for some of the best-known homecare organisations and also for a charity operating in this field.
Provision of the appropriate level of care and support is essential and I have an extensive experience of assessment for a wide range of care service including from ‘drop-in’ calls to multiple hours to cover complex needs. I’ve set up and managed a live-in care provision, maintaining many people’s independence, avoiding the need for residential care.
More than 10 years ago I joined one of the country’s largest franchised care providing companies, working for the franchisor, at first as a Business Development Manager, then as a Quality Manager with oversight of many franchised businesses. I found this rewarding in a new way: I was able to influence the delivery of high-quality care to a huge population. What I missed however was the personal relationship with those requiring the assistance and their families.
As a result of these experiences I decided to set up Gracious Care. We aspire to be the best in the field, offering you or your spouse, your mum, your dad, your brother or sister, care with respect, compassion and a level of service ‘custom built’ to keep them at home amongst familiar surroundings and memories.
