Kirsty O'Neil
Glasgow
Summary
Highly skilled professional with extensive expertise in team leadership, supervision, and management, complemented by a strong background in budgeting, finance, and staff development.
Demonstrates exceptional organisational skills, analytical problem-solving abilities, and a proactive approach to conflict resolution and crisis management. Adept at fostering positive work environments through coaching, mentoring, and supporting individuals during challenging times.
Known for professional integrity, strong verbal communication skills, and a caring yet observant nature. Committed to driving success through effective time management and innovative solutions while maintaining a focus on social services excellence.
I have a passionate interest in person centred approaches and treating people as individuals and adopting approaches that work for them as we all respond and learn differently.
I also have an interest in research and theory. One of the recent studies I have been exploring is the ‘Adverse childhood experiences (ACE's) study that has shown the impact childhood experiences have on outcomes later in life.
Overview
28
28
years of professional experience
3
3
years of post-secondary education
Work history
Volunteer Board Trustee
3D Drumchapel
01.2025 - 04.2025
- Working closely with a passionate team of people who want the best for the families that 3D Drumchapel serves
- Part of the Legal and Governance working group, working closely with the Head of Operations to ensure operating within legislation and that Policies are relevant, reviewed and updated
Service Manager
Capability Scotland
08.2024 - 04.2025
- Managing a 20 flat residential home for adults with learning disabilities, Physical disabilities and complex health care needs
- Line managing 4 Team Leaders, and Senior Administrator, and indirect line management for 40 + staff including support staff, Housekeeping and catering
Trainer in CPI Safety Interventions
Enable Scotland (leading the way)
08.2023 - 08.2024
- Instructing and teaching staff in Safety Interventions training, providing them with a framework for preventing, de-escalating, and safely responding to crisis behaviour
- Administration tasks required as a certified trainer, completing relevant details on the CPI trainer's portal
- Liaising with local area teams within Enable with regards to training requirements for staff
- Having knowledge and awareness of relevant legislation relating to the use of physical intervention and other forms of restraint
Programme Manager
3D Drumchapel
07.2023 - 08.2024
- Leading developing, resourcing and managing programmes of service delivery
- Shaping and designing the service in response to need of the children and families
- Managing the Volunteer Development Coordinator with overall responsibility to develop the volunteer recruitment and development to meet the needs of the service delivery
- Managing the Bairn Necessities project that offers preloved baby and children's equipment and clothing from age 0-5 years
- I was responsible for managing the Family Support Workers who provide support in the primary schools that have purchased our services through their PEF funding
- Setting budgets for Service delivery streams I managed, overseeing the spend and managing budgets
- Sourcing and applying for funding that can offer financial support for families who access our support, and other funds and grants to contribute to service delivery and the development and growth of the service delivery
- Working in partnership with many stakeholders including Health, Social Work, Education and many other partners, to develop and enhance the support and service we provide to best meet the needs of the families
- Attending and participating in network meetings, joint support team meetings and engaging in local partnerships to advance the outcomes of 3D's outcomes
- Work directly providing emotional and practical support to Children and Families
- Contributing to the monitoring and evaluation framework, with responsibility to assess and evaluate impact of service streams I manage
Services Manager
Enable Scotland (Leading the way)
01.2019 - 07.2023
- Responsible for the management of support provided to Children and Adults with a Learning Disability, Mental health, Autism, Dementia and Brain injury diagnoses
- Developing relationships with the people we support/work for, their families and other key stakeholder
- Registered manager for the Care at Home and Housing support
- Leading on the successful transition for individuals to move from long stay hospital or other living environments into their own tenancy, with the main priority being about supporting individuals and their families in trusting in me and the organisation to provide them to best possible support to enable them to live the lives they want
- Budget planning and management
- Developing and maintaining positive partnership and working relationships with Local authorities, health services and other third sector organisations
- Attending and participating in various internal and external meetings
- Communicating with the people we support and their families to ensure they actively participated and that their views helped to create and inform their personalised support plans
- Monitoring quality assurance, ensuring staff are adhering to company policy and procedures, values, the National Care Standards and SSSC Codes of Practice in the delivery of the support they provide
- I worked closely with a Team of Team Managers to improve practice and culture in a number of team who had become complacent in their practice leading to transformational change
- Arranging tailored bespoke training to ensure staff had the knowledge and understanding to improve their skills and practice
- Embedding a nurturing approach to support all workers to make a valuable contribution whilst sharing a responsibility for leadership that is accountable to the people we support, their families and ENABLE Scotland (Leading the Way) as a whole
Sessional Team Leader
Includem
05.2018 - 01.2019
- Line manager for Sessional Mentors
- Responsible for recruitment, learning and development and retention of Sessional workforce
- Working collaboratively with Team Managers to identify and deploy sessional staff to meet the needs of the young people
- Maintaining a young person focus in relation to services delivered by sessional staff
- Working in collaboration with further education and other external providers to build sessional and permanent staffing capacity
- Working effectively with all functions of service staff across the organisation
- Auditing and measuring processes evidencing that sessional support practice is meeting the Includem standards, policies and procedures, national standards and is producing positive outcomes for young people
- Providing support and supervision for Sessional staff
- Coordinating Induction training
Depute Manager
3D Drumchapel
11.2016 - 05.2018
- Responsible for the operational and day to day management leading a small team delivering support and activities to children and families who live within Drumchapel and surrounding geographical area
- Supporting families to make positive changes and to strengthen their relationship through offering support through a variety of methods to suit their needs
- Monitoring and reviewing impact of support to ensure meeting identified outcomes
- Providing line management responsibilities including facilitating recruitment, inductions, support & supervision sessions, appraisals and work plans
- Oversee and facilitate the operational management including programme planning and development, maintenance matters, health & safety, monitoring & evaluation
- Worked in partnership with local agencies and promote the work of the Organisation
- Support Team development including facilitating team meetings and team development days as required
- Facilitated consultation with families including facilitation of the Service user Forum
- Provide occasional hands-on support to children and families as required
- Communicating effectively with colleagues, partnerships, networks, groups and service providers
- Ensuring that all relevant Health and Safety measures, Equal Opportunities objectives, and anti-discriminatory practices are implemented and adhered to
- Representing the Project in the community, city wide and nationally; including conferences, meetings and giving presentations about the support and services 3D Drumchapel offer
- Participating in general office duties, staff meetings, events, and activities
- Consult with the Project Manager and Directors, providing regular reports both written and verbal and attending Board meetings
- Attended relevant training/development opportunities
- Reflecting on and developing my own practice in consultation with Line Manager
- Effectively managing the use of resources
Housing Support Projects Manager
Cosgrove Care
01.2004 - 11.2016
- Senior Support Worker (2004 – 2008)
- Service Manager (2008 – 2014)
- Housing Support Projects Manager (2014 – November 2016)
- I worked with Cosgrove Care for almost 13 years, with my first 4 years being a Senior Support Worker
- This role involved directly supporting adults in their home environment with all aspects of their daily life, whilst having line management responsibility for the staff team
- As a Service Manager I was responsible for the effective operational management of 3 Housing Support areas, ensuring ongoing compliance with the registration requirements and contractual obligations on a day to day basis
- In addition, I was responsible for providing support and supervision for Team Leaders and Senior Support Workers
- Landlord duties for 2 properties that the organisation own and rent
- Acting as corporate benefit appointee for the people we support
- Ensuring high standards of practice and support, using a person centred approach
- My role as Housing Support Projects Manager involved leading and managing 4 Housing Support and Care at Home services
- Responsible for direct line management of the Project Leaders, who were responsible for the day to day management of the services
- Introducing new systems and processes to ensure best practice in the delivery of support
- My role changed at the beginning of 2016 to having overall responsibility for the organisation and management of all Housing support and Care at home services, supporting people to live in their own homes
- Member of the Senior Management team working closely with colleagues in senior management to ensure the overall strategic aims of the organisation are being met
- Key role in ensuring quality person centred support is provided to ensure people's needs are being met in line with their wishes and identified personal outcomes
- In addition: I was the designated contact for liaising with the Local Authority contracts and Monitoring Team
- I was responsible for the line management, support and supervision of the Project Leaders
- I actively promoted diverse team working, to ensure that individuals are encouraged to utilise their skills and knowledge and to learn and develop
- I was responsible for managing departmental budgets
- I had landlord responsibility for the properties owned and rented by the organisation
- I worked with the people and or their guardian/family to ensure that they maximise their individual budgets to receive the support they require
- I acted as the DWP Corporate Benefit Appointee for a number of people we supported, therefore had to keep myself up to date with benefits available to people we supported and work closely with welfare rights advisors
- I was actively involved in decision making at senior management level and input to the strategy
- Leading on change that required rapid intervention following a case conference relating to the failure of a gentleman's needs being met within a shared living environment that put his life at risk
- I was responsible for monitoring quality assurance, ensuring staff are adhering to company policy and procedures, values, the National Care Standards and SSSC Codes of Practice in the delivery of the support they provide
- Leading, motivating, and inspiring others to be proud of the support they provide
- I was previously a trainer in Non Violent Crisis Intervention for a 3 year period
Autism Practitioner
Scottish Society for Autism
03.2000 - 01.2004
- Supporting adults with autism and Asperger's in a resource centre and outreach basis
- Support and assessment of needs to develop individual care plans
- Assessment and support work with children leaving school and making the transition to adult services/further education
- Support with numeracy and literacy
- Supporting individuals on a 1:1 basis or 2:1 basis to access local community, leisure activities and further education
- Developing risk assessment with a risk enablement approach
- Developing and co-ordinating support plans and review documents to ensure they were user friendly
Sessional Play Worker
Strathclyde Autistic Society
06.1999 - 04.2000
- Working as part of a team supporting children with autism and Asperger's, in a play scheme environment
- Supporting children on a 1:1, or 2:1 basis with a structured programme of activities in a play scheme base or out and about in the community
- Carrying out dynamic risk assessment
- Using a variety of communication aids to meet the needs of the children
Classroom Assistant
Glasgow City Council
09.1999 - 03.2000
- Assistant teachers by working with individuals or small groups of children on specific pieces of work
- Preparing class work for the teacher i.e
- Photocopying, preparing materials for the lesson
- I arranged an Arts and Crafts Homework Club
Play Worker
Glasgow YWCA
01.1997 - 01.1999
- Working with children aged 5 – 12 years old in an After school club and School holiday clubs
- Working as part of a team, preparing fun and stimulating activities relevant to the children's age and interests
- Providing a safe, playful, fun environment
- I also managed a Junior Club for children aged 5 – 12 years one night a week
- Research marketing and advertising the club to gain an interest
- Involved the children in deciding the activities for each week
- Working with dedicated volunteers to ensure we were providing a safe, fun environment for the children
- Encouraging inclusion in the local area
Education
Professional cookery - theory and practical skills
Glasgow college of food technology
08.1999 - 05.2000
HNC - Social care (Merit)
Langside College
03.2002 - 07.2003
SVQ 3 - Promoting independence
SVQ3 - Management Level 3
SVQ3 - Management Level 4
SVQ 4 - Health & Social Care (Adults)
NCFE level 2 Certificate - in Principles of Team leading
West College Scotland
07.2016 - 01.2017
Play in Early Education - and Childcare National 5
West Scotland College
01.2018 - 06.2018
CACHE Level 2 Certificate - in Counselling Skills
07.2018 - 10.2018
CACHE Level 2 Certificate - in Awareness of Mental Health Problems
TQUK Level 2 Certificate - in Behaviour that challenges in Children (RQF)
West College Scotland
Skills
- Self-motivated
- Team leadership
- Budgeting and finance
- Staff development
- Strong verbal communication
- Background in supervision and management
- Observant
- Conflict resolution
- Social services knowledge
- Positive and optimistic
- Exceptional organisational skills
- Honest
- Caring
- Good time management skills
- Analytical approach to Problem solving
- Coaching skills
- Knowledge and skills in supporting people in times of crisis
- Skilled in rapid intervention and crisis management
- Professional Integrity
Disclosure and SSSC
Scottish Social Services Council Registration
( Registration number SCR-2078791)
Previous Registered Manager for Care at Home and Housing Support
Currently registered Manager of a Cares Home
Member of PVG for Adults (previously children and Adults)
PVG Membership Number 1302 2008 6819 0328
Timeline
Volunteer Board Trustee
3D Drumchapel
01.2025 - 04.2025
Service Manager
Capability Scotland
08.2024 - 04.2025
Trainer in CPI Safety Interventions
Enable Scotland (leading the way)
08.2023 - 08.2024
Programme Manager
3D Drumchapel
07.2023 - 08.2024
Services Manager
Enable Scotland (Leading the way)
01.2019 - 07.2023
CACHE Level 2 Certificate - in Counselling Skills
07.2018 - 10.2018
Sessional Team Leader
Includem
05.2018 - 01.2019
Play in Early Education - and Childcare National 5
West Scotland College
01.2018 - 06.2018
Depute Manager
3D Drumchapel
11.2016 - 05.2018
NCFE level 2 Certificate - in Principles of Team leading
West College Scotland
07.2016 - 01.2017
Housing Support Projects Manager
Cosgrove Care
01.2004 - 11.2016
HNC - Social care (Merit)
Langside College
03.2002 - 07.2003
Autism Practitioner
Scottish Society for Autism
03.2000 - 01.2004
Classroom Assistant
Glasgow City Council
09.1999 - 03.2000
Professional cookery - theory and practical skills
Glasgow college of food technology
08.1999 - 05.2000
Sessional Play Worker
Strathclyde Autistic Society
06.1999 - 04.2000
Play Worker
Glasgow YWCA
01.1997 - 01.1999
SVQ 3 - Promoting independence
SVQ3 - Management Level 3
SVQ3 - Management Level 4
SVQ 4 - Health & Social Care (Adults)
CACHE Level 2 Certificate - in Awareness of Mental Health Problems
TQUK Level 2 Certificate - in Behaviour that challenges in Children (RQF)
West College Scotland
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