Meet the team… Kate

Kate set up, and now runs, our new Care and Support Centre that supports both our clients, and carers out in the field. However, team members offer so much more than voices at the end of the phone.  They are also provide vital emotional and physical support, plus a critical contact point for clients, or their families. Read on to find out more about Kate’s work

I run the Care and Support Centre here in Southampton, and this is the first time I’ve ever worked in the care industry. Until I joined Nobilis last autumn, I’d previously worked in the fitness industry. However, I’ve been saying to my partner for a couple of years that I wanted to work with people and to do something important.

I’ve always had the utmost respect for carers and have been connected with the industry through friends and family members. I’m amazed at the type of person it takes to be a carer…they are just so inspiring, so when the job came up to set up a call centre operation for Nobilis, it felt like an aligning of the stars, plus it was inspiring to think I could combine my skills in managing a call centre with my wish to work with people and to make a difference.

Prior to me launching the Nobilis Centre, all client and carer calls were handled by just one person in each branch – they were literally doing everything. But because of the sheer volume of calls – everything from new customer enquiries to liaising with hospitals, families or the local GPs, there was just too much to do.

Having a central Care and Support Centre means our carers can get on with what they do best – looking after their clients, while we can do most of the liaison calls, take calls from customers or their families, new customer enquiries or even customer care calls. For instance, one day a family member of a client called us to say they were concerned their relative might be spending their birthday alone, so we ensured we sent a gift from the team and sang happy birthday to them on the phone. And we have another client who has hurt his back and rings us for a chat; he says when he’s feeling better he’s going to visit the office to dance with us!

I’ve now built up the team to 14 people and we’re available from six in the morning until 10.30pm. I’m very picky about who I bring on board, but I’m enormously proud of my team – every one of them is intelligent, hardworking, and resilient. They are so kind, and really do care; they make emotional connections with people. Officially we are a call centre, but in reality we are so much more than that.

Nobilis is incredibly supportive of all of us and always has its clients at heart. The possibilities for the business seem endless and I’m so excited to have joined a business that is growing and doing a job that means something. For me, this is a pretty special time, in a pretty special company.