Your6 February 2009
`A children's home
is not a last resort.
It can be a positive
experience...'
W
hen Debbie Hartley
goes to work every
day she knows she
will be helping to
make a difference
to the lives of young people in
the area.
In fact, she has been doing this
for more than 20 years and her
hard work and dedication has just
been recognised by Cumbria
County Council.
She always wanted to work with
children and young people and
now as the manager of the Grange
Children's Home in Carlisle she is
responsible for making a positive
impact to the lives of six
youngsters there.
Her career began after
attending a residential care
course in child care at Carlisle
College when she started working
for Cumbria County Council with
the elderly at Lime House in
Wetheral in 1978.
She wasn't able to start working
with young people straight away
because she needed experience
and the years behind her before
she could do this.
Debbie, 49, said: "I had to wait
and persevere because I would
have been working with people of
a similar age but it was worth it."
Apart from a career break after
starting a family she has worked
with young people ever since.
It was in 1980 that Debbie
started work as a `house mother'
at the Grange, looking after 10
young people.
She said: "Working in a
children's home means you are
responsible for being `good
corporate parents'.
"Although you can't substitute
their own personal home, you
strive to make it a home from
home for them.
"It is not always easy though
because some children have very
challenging behaviour."
A move to Mill House, a remand
centre in Carlisle for young
offenders aged 12 to 18, in the late
80s saw Debbie take on a new
challenge.
She said: "They were placed
there by the courts so they saw it
as a punishment and they often
rebelled so it was a different kind
of challenge."
It was through her work here
that Debbie became a sessional
worker for the Youth Support
System which meant she was a
key worker and could support the
young people at Mill House
through into independence.
When Mill House closed in the
early 90s Debbie returned to the
Grange and moved up the career
ladder from children's care
worker to senior residential
support worker.
Children at the Grange may
have emotional and social
behavioural difficulties and it is
down to the staff to help build
their confidence and self-esteem.
This is done through social,
emotional and educational
support with a view to them
moving on and living
independently.
In-house educational activities
may need to be arranged for those
children who may not be in
mainstream education.
There are six young people at
the Grange aged between 12 and
18 years old from the local area.
"There are never two days the
same," said Debbie, from Carlisle.
"Each day is a challenge in itself
and it is very demanding.
"We provide stability and the
support and life challenges for the
children.
"We are a huge family."
Debbie became acting manager
in 1993 and then permanent or
`registered' manager in 1996, her
title referring to a standard where
the manager has to be registered
with Ofsted.
As manager Debbie is in charge
of the overall running of the
Grange and leads and motivates
the staff of two assistant
managers, eight residential
support workers, administrators
and house keepers.
Debbie manages the 24 hour
rota and works with a network of
external agencies.
"A children's home is not a last
resort," she said. "It can be a
positive experience.
"I am part of a team and
together we have to put good
structure plans in place for them
and we do commit ourselves � we
never give up.
"We have a unique role as we
come to work in their home."
Through her career Debbie has
seen changes to the way care
standards are delivered.
"Things have continued to
change for the better," she said. "I
remember a time when I took
children from the Grange back
home with me and would let them
spend Christmas Day with me but
you can't do that now."
Children may be at the Grange
for any length of time, from one
year to six or seven years, and
Debbie says that former residents
do come back to see them.
"We act as a support network,"
she said. "I sometimes bump into
people who have been at the
Grange or they come back to let
us know how they are getting on
and to say thank-you for what we
did for them.
"It is nice to see that we have
made a difference."
Debbie says that her work has
been a good grounding for her as
a parent.
She said: "It has made me more
protective as a parent because I
have seen what goes on but my
work has inspired my two
daughters. They are now a
sessional and care worker in
Scotland."
Throughout her career Debbie
has received continuous training
and development and gained an
NVQ working with children and
young people.
She was recently awarded with
a silver Excellence Award for
employee of the year from
Cumbria County Council.
"I was taken aback by the award
because it was a surprise
nomination," she said. "I was
really pleased because people who
work with me nominated me so it
meant a lot."
Debbie Hartley, manager of the Grange Children's Home in Carlisle,
has been awarded a silver Excellence Award for employee of the
year from Cumbria County Council. Emma Morley spoke to her
about her career in caring and her responsibility for making a
positive impact on the lives of six youngsters at the home
`They were placed there by
the courts so they saw it
as a punishment and they
often rebelled so it was a
different kind of challenge'
Debbie Hartley has spent more than 20 years working
with children and it's not alway been easy BEN RUSSELL
`I remember when I took
children back home and
would let them spend
Christmas Day with me but
you can't do that now'

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