How Mirko Ridolfo’s journey as a nurse in Italy lead him to become one of Majesticare’s rising stars
My career began in Verona, Italy in 2014 when I qualified as a nurse and fell in love with being on the frontline of care. I had a dream to work in A&E in the UK, but first I needed to become fluent in English, which brought me to England to begin my journey as a Senior Carer in a nursing home.
It was here in England that I discovered a sector I had never considered exploring before – social care. Caring for the elderly generated a real passion. For me, older people represent our roots and our past; they have made our history and have allowed everything we enjoy today. Working in care became my contribution to give something back, to let someone know that they still count in this world. I was there to listen and learn from their wisdom, their history and the way they have seen, and see the world now. The smiles I brought to their faces made a career in care make sense.
As a nurse in social care, I was always striving to learn more and discover new ways to improve the delivery of care. Work became a fundamental part of my life. It wasn’t just work for me it became my mission. I had a strong desire to lead change and inspire others and I am fortunate that I joined Majesticare who truly believed in my abilities and invested in my career development.
After 18 months working as a nurse, I was promoted to Deputy Manager beginning my qualifications in leadership and management. Just two years later age 26, I achieved one of the most pivotal roles in my career to date, Registered Manager of an 85-bed luxury care home. Joining a care home with a history of unstable management and in need of improvement, was perhaps the biggest challenge I was to experience, especially with my age and still having so much to learn as a new manager! The most important thing I had to do was gain the trust of my residents, their families and my team, and I believe it was my passion and vision that made this transition easier for all concerned.
For me the secret of success is giving everyone a voice so they feel a protagonist in ‘change’. We all feel threatened by change and the unknown but by empowering people to become advocates for change and promoting courage and determination, we can create a real impact. There have of course been moments when I have been discouraged; a career in leadership can be as stressful as it is rewarding, but it is the unforeseen challenges that represent the essence of leading and managing a home. I have always tried to find a way to transform such challenges into positive opportunities.
My social care mission can only be achieved with teamwork and togetherness. Knowledge and skills will not necessarily bring success without a true passion to care and investing in the people that hold these values is key.
In just three years of working together we now have a wonderful culture. We have become well respected in the community, reached a score of 10 on the care home review website, carehome.co.uk and have achieved a Good rating with the Care Quality Commission. My biggest success though has been creating a happy home for my residents and a positive place for my team to work.
Now age 29 I’m about to commission a new luxury care home and retirement living apartments from scratch, alongside my Majesticare family. I’m so excited to embark upon the next stage in my social care journey.. wherever that may take me!
