Home Instead (Cleveland)

I am a local lad, born and bred in Stockton-on-Tees and after moving to London for university and a career, was drawn back quite quickly to my native area where I love to live and where I wanted to bring up my family!

Over the years, I have enjoyed many great times battling on the rugby pitch for Stockton Rugby Club, among other great teams, before my bones and sinews decided they just couldn’t cope with the strains anymore! More sedately, I have been a long-standing member and three times Chairman of Stockton Round Table. This involved me supporting many good local causes and charities, including the elderly, always wanting to be able to contribute to the good of the local community and wider area. On a work front, I have enjoyed a successful career working from the ground up to senior management levels in Human Resources Management and Organisational Development with small as well as very large organisations - I just love being involved with people.

I get a great deal of personal satisfaction from recruiting, training, developing and nurturing great quality staff who deliver fantastic services and who truly enjoy and are totally engaged in the work they do. Whilst always working very hard for other people to improve and bettering their organisations, my real quest has been to run my own top-quality business.

I bumped into Home Instead who were looking to open a new office in Cleveland and have not looked back! Home Instead is renowned for its excellence in providing superior quality care across the UK and the world…..now available to you where you live!

It is a genuine pleasure working with my partner Michelle, helping her realise her ambition to improve the quality of life, independence and happiness of our clients in their own homes where they want to be providing peace of mind for their families at the same time.

Equally, I am thrilled to be able to deliver a sought-after service in the community where I live and to create immensely rewarding local jobs for local ‘superstars’ to care for our local elderly. We love what we do!

Home Instead Cleveland is owned by Gavin Morrigan and Michelle Fairless - ‘real life’ partners as well as Home Instead business partners. Together they have had successful careers providing high-quality, reliable and dependable services with well-regarded companies.

Reason for starting Home Instead Cleveland:
For me it's quite simple, I love what I do! Making a huge difference to families!

I have developed a great passion for providing the highest quality service to older people and their families that sadly I just couldn’t find for my own family when we needed it.  Unfortunately, there are many, many people who continue to share my experiences. Knowing of the incredible difficulties and near-impossible challenges many families have faced when service providers have failed to deliver sometimes the most basic levels of dignity and care, my mission has become to provide the very best elderly care possible. We deliver what we promise. My dream to make a real difference is now a reality. It has been so rewarding to see the hugely positive impact that the service we deliver has on people's lives, not only the people we provide care for directly, but their families as well, providing them with much-needed peace of mind through our excellent care and companionship service.

The end result is that this combination enables us to help more people remain independent, happy and fulfilled in their own homes, where most elderly people want to be, for far longer than is often the case with their families knowing they couldn’t have made a better choice. A choice, sadly, I never had.

Outside of work, Gavin and I enjoy many outdoor activities, particularly in the countryside. We also have 4 children, well young adults really who themselves have diverse social lives and sporting interests outside of their studies or work. The final additions are our mischievous cat and playful black Labrador who ensure we are kept busy at all times! Very rarely do we find ourselves wondering what to do next or where to go!

Kate Smith is the Registered Manager at Home Instead Cleveland and joined the Home Instead Family very early in our journey in 2016. Straight out of college, she began her career with us and Kate has flourished and developed her skills to get to where she is now.

Reason for joining Home Instead:

I joined Home Instead as a CAREGiver in 2016. At the time I was very new to the working world having just left college and a part-time role with a food chain.

At the time I had no driving license so nearly never got the job, however, after reading to the very end of my CV Gavin noticed I rode a motorbike and the rest was history…

Clients loved that I rode my bike to and from their houses in all weathers to be there for them, and for one particular client, this was a huge topic of conversation being a former motorcycle rider himself.

I soon started working with a variety of clients and this instantly boosted my confidence and people skills and I very quickly realised what I difference I could make.

After some time as a CAREGiver, I was offered a position in the office where I worked with Gavin and Michelle on a daily basis, just the 3 of us! With only a handful of clients to look after.

Now with an office team of 17, I have had the pleasure of not only watching our office team and care pro team grow but to seeing the number of people we support in our local area remain independent at home double each year.

Hobbies/interests:

In my spare time, I like to take my dog Mabel out for long walks around Wynard Woodland Walk and Cotham Woods.

I am generally a creative person and enjoy most things of that nature and I am constantly trying new hobbies and projects.

Tell us something interesting about you that not many people know.

I grow most of my own fruit and vegetables in my garden/allotment and this is something that I really enjoy.

Brenda is our Deputy Care Manager and joined the Home Instead Cleveland family after a long career of 19 years within the Financial Industry and customer service.

Reason for joining Home Instead: 

I believe the position at Home Instead came my way at the right time in my life. With a wealth of experience from working with Customers and People Management, I knew that my skills would be beneficial in contributing to the Home Instead way and working for a company that not only CQC Outstanding rating but also has a 5-star Best Employee Award, showing me that they not only give a great service to their clients but also deliver a great service as an employee.

Hobbies/interests:

Outside of work, I’m normally running down the road, no I am not being chased, I actually enjoy keeping fit. I enjoy going to the gym and have always been a member of some gyms here and there over the years. I love the outdoors so if I’m not out walking with my dog through the fields, we are camping and living the outdoor life. She is my little companion and has such enjoyment in my life.

You can normally find me in the office eating, if I’m not eating, I’m looking for food to eat, much to the disappointment of those on diets.

Tell us something interesting about you that not many people know.

I am originally from Northern Ireland, therefore I am of  Irish origin, however, sadly my accent does not reflect that.  It certainly keeps people guessing though. My childhood years were spent moving around within the armed forces.

Julie is the Training Compliance Officer for Home Instead Cleveland and has been with the Home Instead family since January 2015.

Reason for joining Home Instead:

I wanted to continue my caring career. I am passionate about caring for people and I wanted to share my own intrinsic values and passion for delivering a high-quality, trusted and reliable service that you would only expect from your own family. I am pleased to be able to share my knowledge qualifications and experiences and influence a happy team of dedicated care professionals.

My main aim is to put a smile on people’s faces and continue to have a rewarding job. My role within the company is to train and develop all our new Care Professionals when they start with Home Instead and professionally develop experienced Care Professionals. I ensure that right from the start, our specially selected, excellent employees comply with and surpass all CQC standards but above all, your own and your loved one’s expectations.

Hobbies/interests:

I enjoy cooking and doing crafts making wreaths and flower arranging for families and friends. I love shopping.

I enjoy travelling to countries far and wide. I also enjoy spending quality time with my family one son and one daughter I have 6 grandchildren that all live close by too. I care for and support my elderly father.

I love to go for a spa day and to be pampered.

Tell us something interesting about you that not many people know.

I moved to Egypt for a year and had my own business A children/baby shop. Worked for Cairo University teaching professionals English. My most rewarding role was teaching a class of 30+ primary children and when I left they spoke English.

Katie Greenwood is a Care coordinator/scheduler at Home Instead Cleveland. She joined the Home Instead family on 13th April 2021. 

Reason for joining Home Instead:

When I heard about an office job for Home Instead and what the job description entailed, I knew this was the job for me. I have always wanted to help people or be a part of something where you are. At the same time I enjoy office work and I liked the idea that I could still do that and also be part of making difference in someone’s life at the same time. Since working for Home Instead, I have never had such job satisfaction as like do now. It is such a rewarding job.

Hobbies/interests:

In my spare time, I enjoy going to the gym, gardening, upcycling furniture, painting and long walks with the dog in Yarm or a trip out to Saltburn

Tell us something interesting about you that not many people know.

I live in a project house, so it’s a dated house that I will transform and then move on to the next one once this is complete. This is only my second project but I will keep going until I can afford my dream home in the countryside.

Claire Fryett is one of our Care Coordinator/Scheduler, she spent 10 years in retail management before joining the Home Instead Cleveland family.

Reason for joining Home Instead:

I joined Home Instead as I was ready for a new challenge. I’d always worked in customer service and am passionate about helping people. I saw this role advertised and knew that it was right for me as it combines both the scheduling aspect and customer service style role that I was looking for. I wanted to work for a company where everybody is happy and enjoys coming to work and that’s exactly what I found here. I’m a people person and I love getting to know our clients are CarePros.

Hobbies/interests:

I live in Middlesbrough and have two young children and a teenage stepson, so I spend my time outside of work with my family. I love to spend weekends walking around the garden centres or having a walk along Redcar seafront with a little trip to the arcades with the kids. In the summer I enjoy family camping and caravanning trips with my husband, kids, and parents. To me, family is the most important thing and I like to make sure every weekend counts. I also have a huge shopping addiction and love hunting out a good bargain!

Tell us something interesting about you that not many people know.

I have a huge fear of heights, however, on my honeymoon in Mexico, I faced my fears and ziplining across the Mexican jungle. I was absolutely terrified beforehand and even cried in the queue before the first zipline! However, as soon as I completed the first one I was absolutely hooked, it was the most exciting and amazing experience of my life and I’d love to go back and do it again.

Stevie is a Field Supervisor at Home Instead Cleveland and joined the Home Instead family in February 2021 with over 10 years of experience in a variety of aspects of care.

Reason for joining Home Instead:

My reason for wanting to join Home Instead is everything is done totally differently from the other care companies out there. I loved that they only do 1-hour visits. I believe that in that time you can build a relationship with the client and get to know them properly rather than just a flying 15-minute visit. I love how they do not wear a uniform. There are some people out there who do not want everyone to know that receive support so they just look like a family member or a friend, not a care professional. I love how they match each care professional to their client with interests and hobbies or even the area, so both the care professional and the client have something to talk about while getting to know each other.

Hobbies/interests:

In my spare time, I love spending time with my friends and family. I love socialising with my friends but also love spending time out walking with my family and my dog.

We love spending weekends out walking, whether it be around the local woods or up in Cod Beck. I also spend the weekends entertaining my 6-year-old daughter, whether it be at a soft play area or the farm, we do whatever we can together.

I also enjoy watching rugby and spending the weekends watching my husband play if we are not out walking.

Tell us something interesting about you that not many people know.

I did gymnastics for 6 years and represented Yorkshire.

Sue is a Field Supervisor for Home Instead Cleveland and originally joined the Home Instead Family as a Care Professional in October 2020 before progressing into her current role in 2022.

Reason for joining Home Instead:

My Mum was diagnosed with Mixed Dementia in 2020, and I wanted to understand what this meant for me and my family in the years to come. As I was already working in the industry being a Carer for Home Instead, this has helped me massively with my mum.

In 2021 I applied for the job in the office as I had a lot of experience in this area and got the job as Field Supervisor in December 2022.

Hobbies/interests:

I Spend a lot of time in Newcastle as my daughter Lives up there, I enjoy spending time at the Quayside in Newcastle walking.

I also have a new Step-grand Daughter so takes up a lot of time taking her to the Ward Jackson Park in Hartlepool.

I enjoy long dog walks and like to be out in the fresh Air keeping fit I enjoy going to Seaton Carew in Hartlepool as it has a lovely beach.

Tell us something interesting about you that not many people know.

I am a fully qualified Hairdresser/Nail Technician/Waxing/ Eye Last Tech

I Once got down to the last few to go onto the show Deal or No Deal and nearly got on the TV and met Noel Edmonds.

Kat is a Field Supervisor for Home Instead Cleveland and joined the Home Instead family in March 2021 and has over 25 years of experience in the Adult Care sector.

Reason for joining Home Instead:

During my time delivering NVQs & Diploma, I supported a couple of individuals working at Home Instead and visited the organisation frequently.  One day I received a phone call to ask me if I was interested in a new career pathway and was invited into the office.  I decided to join the team at Home Instead.

Hobbies/interests:

I enjoy spending my free time with my family, especially my grandson.  I enjoy arts & crafts and I am quite handy with a sewing machine.  I like to make costumes and do small alterations when I have the time.

I enjoy organising family parties and hosting parties, we enjoy playing pool and games on these occasions.

Tell us something interesting about you that not many people know.

My favourite hobby is dancing, in my youth, I auditioned to work on a cruise ship and got the part until they discovered I was still at school.

Ross is the recruiter for Home Instead Cleveland and joined the Home Instead family in October 2021 after working for Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) as a Trainee Officer.

Reason for joining Home Instead: 

I initially joined Home Instead to assist with admin work, but this quickly escalated into Recruitment Administration and then becoming a Recruiter. For many years before my joining, I had heard great things about the company, its ethos, and its scope for the future and this attracted me to join when the position became available.

My Hobbies and interests include:

- Travelling to as many places as I can
- Keeping fit at the gym
- Clay Pigeon Shooting at Thimbleby Shooting Ground
- Watching most sports, my favourites being: UFC, Football, Rugby, and Formula 1

Tell us something interesting about you that not many people know.

In 2019 I circumnavigated the globe.

Gaynor is a trainer at Home Instead Cleveland and started with the Home Instead family as a Care Professional in September 2022

Reason for joining Home Instead:

I joined Home Instead as I was looking for a role in which I could 'make a difference'. I started as a Care Professional and when going through the Recruitment and Selection process I was overwhelmed by the knowledge of the trainer. This training gave me the skills, knowledge and confidence so that  I could go out and help Home Instead clients to live as independent lives as possible.  I was then given the opportunity to support the trainer and then follow the Home Instead training programme to help recruit new Care Professionals.

The one thing I inform future Care Professionals is that Home Instead is an amazing supportive company to work for. Every member of staff is approachable with any question that they have and we will endeavour to support each person out in the community.

Hobbies/interests:

I love spending time with my husband and going to new places as well as visiting places for the third and fourth time! We love visiting Scotland. I just love the peace and quiet!

I love food...any food. Nothing is as amazing as settling down for the night with a good plate of food and watching a movie.

When I have spare time I like to go to the cinema but have been known to fall asleep during the movie and wake up just before it finishes!

Tell us something interesting about you that not many people know.

Whatever the weather you will see me wearing a scarf. I have numerous scarves that I can accessorize with my outfits. For me, I feel a little bit more confident wearing one when I'm either working in.