Holly Sanderson is our Registered Manager for Blakelow Bank, and she's been part of the Esland team since October 2018. Holly started her career with us as a Residential Care Worker, before being promoted to Senior, Deputy Manager and her current role as Registered Manager. Holly works closely with her young person, the home team, and external professionals to ensure care plans are delivered to the highest standards to achieve the best outcomes.

Hi, my name is Holly Sanderson, and I’m the Registered Manager for Blakelow Bank. I’ve worked for Esland in various roles since October 2018.

What is the most rewarding part of my role at Esland?

My journey so far

I came to Esland on the recommendation of a friend. I’d never worked in residential care before, but I had a passion for helping people and saw an opportunity to channel this at Esland.

I started as a Residential Care Worker and was quickly promoted to a senior position. After a few years, I decided I wanted a new challenge and applied for the Deputy Manager role at Lily Lodge and Ivy Cottage. These were new homes that were just about to open, so I felt I could learn a lot from this opportunity.

After returning from maternity leave, I noticed that a Registered Manager position was available at Blakelow Bank. I successfully applied for the role and have been enjoying life here ever since.

A real community feel

What’s kept me at Esland for so long is the fantastic support available throughout the organisation. I love what I do and truly enjoy helping young people achieve the best possible outcomes. It’s really rewarding, and no matter which manager I’ve worked with, they’ve always helped me aim high and learn new skills.

I like how each day is different at Esland; even after six years, there’s always something new that crops up. I appreciate the flexibility of my role and how, as a manager, I’m not just office-based; I can vary my time between completing tasks and spending time with my team and our young person. All the managers within my region are great. It feels like a real community, and we’ve created a solid support network across all the various homes.

One of my biggest success stories is celebrating a young person’s 5th anniversary of living at Esland. Having such a long and successful placement was a massive achievement for both the young person and the team supporting her. She’s now living independently with a full-time job, owns her own home, and has a car, which is impressive considering the difficulties she experienced during her younger years.

Positive role model

My confidence has grown hugely both professionally and personally during my career here. I’ve learnt so many things, including how to be an effective leader. I’m much more patient and understanding than I ever used to be, and I’m not afraid to try new things and push myself.

The Esland values are something we all live and breathe. I feel I connect with the Kind and Fun values the most. Kindness is really important to me, especially in a role like this where you’re dealing with sensitive situations.

I’m quite a playful person, too, and I like to create happy memories with my team and our young person. Where appropriate, I try not to take life too seriously, and I always strive to be a positive role model for everyone I work with and support.