A registered Manager of an Ofsted recognised ‘Outstanding’ residential children’s home for Lonsdale Care, Stephen Doody, has won a coveted Great British National Care Award in recognition of his commitment to supporting young people in residential care.
Brought up within the care system from the age of five, Stephen’s story began in 1970 when he was placed in foster care by the local authority in Shropshire and he has used his personal experiences of being brought up within the care system to help build positive and trusting relationships with the children that he has cared for since commencing his role a residential care worker in 2009.
At his first interview in 2009 to become a residential care worker, Stephen was informed that he would either be ‘very good’, or pursuing his career could possibly open ‘a can of worms’. From the offset, Stephen was adamant that he had dealt with all of the emotional issues that had affected him due to being estranged from his family that had affected as a youngster and has strived to make a difference in the lives of all of the young people he has cared for.
Stephen made sure that he progressed slowly in order to gain experience from others within the sector. Stephen worked his way up to registered manager of Springfield, which has recently been graded as ‘Outstanding in all areas’ by Ofsted for the fifth consecutive inspection.
Stephen is aware that it is teamwork that makes a huge difference when managing a children’s home and he has built an ‘outstanding family’ around the children at Springfield.
“When I was a young lad in care, it didn’t feel like any of us had a voice” said Stephen, who has always ensured that he is a strong advocate for the children within his care.
Being misunderstood and/or not listened to had a detrimental effect on Stephen during his younger years, and he is no stranger to the effect that this has on children as they are growing up and some of the decisions that are made out of frustration and anger.
“I feel blessed and fortunate to work for such a great company (Lonsdale Care)” says Stephen.
“They have a very strong child focused ethos that permeates throughout the homes, and this has provided me with the opportunity to be the best that I can be”.
Having been placed in care in 1970 at the age of five, Stephen has experienced living in various foster homes and children’s homes but will openly admit that while this is not a qualification for what he does, it has provided him with a great deal of empathy and understanding with regards to separation, abandonment and attachment issues with young people.
Stephen focuses on building up children’s resilience and helping them to gain a sense of their own identity whilst making sure that the environment at the home he manages is loving, caring and nurturing. Stephen and his team are recognised for their passion and commitment towards young people, and this is highlighted in the inspection reports for the home, whilst also being recognised by all of the professionals and families that visit.
There has been heartbreak along the way with some of the children’s personal story’s that Stephen has cared for, but there has also been very positive outcomes and previous young people still keep in contact with Stephen and Springfield.
“I cannot imagine doing anything else” says Stephen, “I do not look back with sadness, rather strive forwards using my past as a ‘toolbox’ for the support of the children that myself and the team care for.”
