Hello, I’m Gemma, Inclusive Opportunities Manager at Heroic Care. I joined Heroic in 2018, beginning my journey as a Support Worker before progressing to Service Manager. In 2020, I moved into managing our day service, which I helped establish from the ground up. Since its inception, the service has continued to grow and evolve year on year, providing meaningful and enriching opportunities for the individuals we support.
My professional career began in 2006 at Dorothy Goodman School, a local Special Educational Needs setting, where I worked for 10 years. During this time, I progressed through a variety of roles, gaining extensive knowledge and experience in supporting children and young people with additional needs. While working there, I completed a degree in Learning and Teaching. I am particularly proud that my dissertation, a research study focused on children with Special Educational Needs, was awarded an A grade and is published in the library at The University of Northampton.
Following this, I spent two years travelling and living in South East Asia and Australia. During this time, I worked within a school supporting students with additional needs and introduced effective practices to enhance support for children with autism, including the implementation of visual communication aids and Makaton sign language. I am fluent in Makaton and particularly value the communication-focused elements of my work.
One of the most rewarding aspects of my current role is seeing many of the young people I once supported at Dorothy Goodman now thriving at Heroic Care, living happy and fulfilled lives within their own homes. I am deeply passionate about developing our day service and creating purposeful, engaging daily opportunities for people with additional needs. Alongside managing the service, I continue to work shifts directly with individuals, as I strongly believe in maintaining a hands-on and connected approach to leadership.
With over 20 years of experience in the sector, I remain as committed and enthusiastic as ever about supporting individuals with a wide range of needs and abilities to achieve their full potential.