We recognise the enormous contribution that our staff make towards helping us achieve high standards of quality care and support

In return we provide a welcoming and inclusive work environment that allows people to develop skills, build valuable experiences and contribute to innovative ways of working.

See and read what some of our staff have said about working at Centre 404 below.

Sarah- Working at Centre 404 for 10 years

Sarah, our Head of Operations at Independent Living, is celebrating her work at Centre 404 for 10 years. Here is an interview for Sarah with her manager Claire, our Director Of Independent Living and Specialist Services at Centre 404.

 

Click here to see the full article. 

 

Question 1: Congratulations on completing a decade at Centre 404! How does it feel to have spent such a long time with Centre 404?

Sarah’s Answer: Thank you! It does not feel like 10 years. I have been involved in so many great achievements and supported the organisation through very tough times for example working through the the pandemic . Time has flown!

 

Charmayne, Project Manager

Charmayne, a project manager currently studying a Level 5 qualification in Children, Young People, and Families Management.

 

Charmayne shares:

‘Through my studies, I am continuously expanding my knowledge and understanding in key areas such as leading and developing safeguarding practices, enhancing health and safety protocols, supporting children’s development with positive outcomes, and effectively managing teams. The skills and insights I’m gaining have significantly improved my leadership approach, allowing me to support staff more successfully and contribute to a higher standard of care for children, young people (CYP), and adults at Centre 404.

My studies have also deepened my understanding of collaborative partnerships with professionals such as social workers and commissioning services. These collaborations are crucial in improving outcomes for CYP by designing services that cater to the unique needs of individuals with learning disabilities and autism. The knowledge I’ve gained has been invaluable, reinforcing my theoretical understanding through practical application. I strongly advocate for continuous learning and development in the health and social care sector, as it empowers individuals, strengthens teams, and ultimately enhances the quality of support provided to those in need.’

 

Maria, Specialist Positive Behaviour Support Worker.

Maria, our Specialist Positive Behaviour Support Worker. Since joining Centre 404, Maria has been actively involved in various activities, providing valuable feedback to help tailor our training and development to the needs of both staff and service users.

Maria says:

‘I do really believe that trainings and courses have a significant impact on an individual career and personal development because with trainings you acquire targeted knowledge and skills that not only enhances competence but also boosts confidence, enabling individuals to handle challenging situations more effectively. For example, I attended ‘ First Aid’, ‘Epilepsy and Buccal Midazolam’ that has helped me to get practical knowledge and feel more comfortable dealing with situations both in professional settings and daily life. For instance, the other day I was at the park and a child fell over and cut himself, so I was able to implement my knowledge from the ‘First Aid’ training to treat the child.

Similarly, other trainings such as PBS and the Care Certificate has broadened my understanding and skills, leading to increased confidence in my support role. For instance, when I took part on the induction PBS training, although I am a PBS worker, it has helped me to establish a wider understanding, skills and knowledge that I’ve been developing each day at work. This is not only has benefited me but also has positively impacts the individuals and families that I support, fostering a more positive environment’

 

Oye – Deputy Project Manager

Oye is a deputy Project Manager for two of our supported living services. Oye successfully completed a Level 5 Management qualification. He says:

‘It was a unique opportunity for me to acquire further knowledge, skills and understanding through my learning to improve my Personal and professional development, identifying numerous goals by boost my confidence and learning new skills to maximise the service delivery, with aims to provide better quality care and safety environment for the people we are supporting, help me to remain better in my role through a process called CPD (Continued Professional Development).

During my course of studying, I was opportune to cover most the topics that relevantly important to my role which including Time management, effective communication, leading and managing teams, operational planning and change management, personal and professional development, critical thinking, and decision making etc.

Having acquired those additional skills and knowledge while studying and learning tremendously helped me balanced up any gap of study were initially associated to my career since 2021. Within the period of my continuous learning, I was able to practically implement those management techniques and tools learnt into the practice to boost the service delivery.

My main advice to people across the nations is that they should not deprive themselves from on-going personal learning and professional development through any options that can help them to develop mentally, socially, physically, and emotionally to acquire further skills, understanding, and knowledge needed for their role.’

Ahsan – Active Support Worker

Ahsan, who recently joined us as an Active Support Worker in one of our supported living services. With a background in healthcare leadership and management, Ahsan shares how Centre 404’s training has helped him apply his knowledge in a practical way:

 

‘Completing my MSc in Healthcare Leadership and Management in the UK gave me a strong foundation in strategic leadership, compliance, and person-centred care. However, my induction training at Centre 404 was instrumental in translating this knowledge into practical skills. I gained a deeper understanding of safeguarding, mental health crisis management, and CQC regulations, which has enabled me to implement personalised care strategies, enhance team performance, and ensure high-quality service delivery.

Before joining Centre 404, I had a clinical background but lacked direct experience in UK-specific social care frameworks. Training at Centre 404 is helping me bridge this gap, equipping me with the necessary skills to provide compassionate and effective care. Personally, this journey has strengthened my leadership abilities, confidence, and ability to drive positive change within my team. I strongly encourage others to embrace continuous learning, as it not only enhances professional growth but also ensures better outcomes for those we support.’

 

 

Grace, Active Support Worker

After completing her induction training, Grace shared:

‘My learning experiences have profoundly impacted how I engage with service users, family members, and colleagues, as well as how I contribute to service delivery.

As a new member of Centre 404, I needed the right tools to perform my day-to-day tasks to the best of my ability and fill any gaps in my knowledge.

The training provided by Centre 404 has reinforced the importance of actively listening and adapting to the needs of those I interact with. Tailoring my responses to be as helpful, clear, and empathetic as possible is essential to improving service delivery.

I have also become more mindful of how different contexts and backgrounds shape how people perceive information. This training has encouraged me to view every conversation as an opportunity to refine my knowledge and approach while remaining curious and open to feedback.

Ongoing learning and development ensure that my knowledge remains relevant and continuously enhances the support I provide to our service users, their families, and my colleagues. ‘

Nancy- Senior Support Worker at our Tollington Way Supported Living Project

Rachel- Senior Support Worker with our Personal Support Worker Finding and Matching Service and our Young People’s Groups and Activities

  • Ruby - Waking Night Support Worker

    I started working for Centre 404 as an agency worker in my mid 60’s, I took on a permanent waking night role when I was 65 and stayed for 10 years. This was part time for 3-4 nights a week.

    I chose waking nights to give me space to do other things during the day. I would come home from a night shift and potter about and then sleep in the afternoon. I took so much joy from working with the ladies over the years, learning ways to communicate and understand their responses. They were often awake during the night and I took a lot of reward and satisfaction from this work.

    Overall this was the ideal job for me at that stage in my life.  Centre 404 was a great place to work, everyone was friendly and supportive. I would have carried on if I could but I was no spring chicken and I decided to finally retire.

    Ruby worked with 2 tenants who had high and complex needs for 10 years, she is also a mother, grandmother and great grandmother!

  • Jo - Project Manager

    Before I worked at Centre 404 I was working in retail where it was all about making a profit. Working at Centre 404 is so much more rewarding.

    I started working in the Reception, welcoming and meeting service users, visitors and staff. After two years I applied for a job as a Support Worker as I wanted to be more involved in supporting people directly. Each day is so different; you might be helping someone with their benefits and supporting them to get out of bed, or you might be helping someone to go to a party and meet their friends, or to go for lunch and do some shopping.

    I really enjoyed this work and when a vacancy came up for a Deputy Manager I went for it. I got the job and now I have worked my way up to become the Manager of that project.

    I would recommend Support Work as a really good start for building a challenging career that makes a difference.