Claire Barnes

Relocated to Isle of Wight in 2019, managing own holiday home while serving as primary carer for partner of 30 years diagnosed with cancer.

Supported startup operations by touring UK to present Sensory Classroom and interactive training tools.

Showcased exhibits at International Autism Conference, enhancing visibility and engagement.

• Commissioned for three consecutive years to participate in Autism Show, demonstrating commitment to awareness.

Supervised staff to ensure completion of daily, weekly, and monthly checks.

Supported service users with accessing the community safely, including health appointments and shopping.

• Attended multidisciplinary team meetings to coordinate care strategies.
• Promoted travel training and socialising opportunities for service users.
• Recognised vulnerabilities due to past abuse and mental health issues in service users.
• Identified structural deficiencies within the company affecting service quality.
• Expressed concerns to higher management regarding support provided to service users.
• Resigned after determining inability to provide safe support for service users.

1999-2015 I took on a role as a Senior Residential Social Worker for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea working in a 8 bed respite home for children with disabilities. This was an exciting time working for local authority as lots of changes with in children and families services were taking place and lots of emphasis was on staff training. It was during my time working for RBKC that I untook most of my training and qualifications. During the first year of my employment with the RBKC, traically came the death of Victoria Clambie, although this did not take place in the borough I worked in, it changed the way Local Authoritis would deliver their services including residential, respite and short breaks services. The Chidren's Act was updated and paved way for the safeguaring measures we see today. Having compulsory training implemented enabled me to achieve my NVQ level 3 children and young people and more specilist training in MAKATON and Autism, mindful leadership, multi disiplinary working, achieving best evidance Safeguarding. During this time respite started to pull away from the usual shor term overnight respite and we were providing support to families in their homes, during the day and with with appointments and for afterschool as well as overnight services. By this point my roles were to supervise staff, plan rotas and annual leave, shift lead and attend reviews and esure care plans were delviered.

During 2008 it was announced that RBKC were to join forces with two other boroughs to provide more of a choice and a range of services for children and their families. This meant that our respite service was to close and a state of the art centre was to be built within our borogh to act as a hub for families living with in the borough providing a range of services from after school and holiday clubs to short breaks, social worker access, training access for professionals and families, portage and keyworker services. Whilst most of the team was made redundent I was promoted to Deputy Manage of the new St Quintin Centre for Disabled Children and Young People. Opening up the centre from scratch was exciting, there was a lot of consultations with various people on services and facilities and it was time to show how well we had listened to what people wanted from the new services. A core offer of services was established and this was implemented as a priority. We went on a huge recruitment, recruiting play workers on 0 hour contracts. I developed the afterschool, weekend and holiday club sessions, over seeing staff, risk assesments both individual and on and off site. Alongside the core offer we started to develop playschmes and afterschool activities for both the children and families. Hving a social worker on site made it easy for people to access these services. I then developed our short breaks taking children on holidays and days out. I organised a 70 people trip to Euro Disney, caravan holidays around the UK, including the purchase of our own, accessed spiicalised holidays. It wasn't long before the service had outgrown itself and we were forced to seek another prmesis to provide the same services from, so running 2 seperate centre's.

2015 after 5 years I was offered redundancy and took it. I left feeling ever so proud of my achievements that i had made during my employment with RBKC.

1996-98 I worked for an agency in Tottenham. During this period I worked in various locations and homes supporting children, young people and adults with disabilities in all different settings. I would support families in their homes to help with morning routines, I would support the respite homes both adults and children with in Waltham Forest.

1994 I took on a short term contract role as reseidential social worker supporting adults with learning and physical disabilities. I played an active role with in the team and learnt about care plans, person centred support, I supported people to attend appouintments, shopping using public transport and the importance of report writing. I was a keyworker to 3 people and was responisble for up dateing care plans and reviewing placements.

1993 I took on a short term contract role as reseidential social worker supporting adults with learning and physical disabilities. I played an active role with in the team and learnt about care plans, person centred support, I supported people to attend appouintments, shopping using public transport and the importance of report writing. I was a keyworker to 3 people and was responisble for up dateing care plans and reviewing placements.

I have over twenty five years of experiance supporting children and their families and adults in various residential settings.

My first supporting role, back in 1992 was working for the London Borough of Waltham Forest on a short term contract piloting a play scheme project for children with learning and phyical disabilities. The project was part of the respite services that was provided by the local authority. The project was a sucess and for the following 3 years I was invited back during school holidays to help run and support the project. It was also during this period I started to work as a residential social worker in a 24 bed respite care home for children with disabilities. I would work on a shift rota basis including sleep overs, weekends and bank holidays. My duties included supporting the children with personal care, communiction, independent living and communication skills. We would support days out and overnight care.