Arran Chambers joined Esland as a Primary Care Practitioner and progressed through multiple roles, including Team Leader and Senior, before becoming Registered Manager at May House. With six years’ experience across residential and adventure-based care, Arran is passionate about creating safe, homely environments where young people can grow, build confidence and achieve meaningful outcomes.

Hi, my name is Arran Chambers, and I’m the Registered Manager at May House. I’ve been part of Esland for six years, and during that time I’ve grown from a Primary Care Practitioner into leading an Outstanding home.

Working in residential childcare wasn’t something I fell into by accident. Before joining Esland, I worked at Sheffield Children’s Hospital and also for Quayside Care, supporting young people who had nowhere else to go. Those experiences confirmed that residential care was where I wanted to build my career. I found Esland through a job advert and joined Maple Manor as a Primary Care Practitioner. From there, my journey really began.

What career pathways are available at Esland?

My journey so far

I learned quickly at Maple Manor, supported by a strong team who were committed to keeping young people safe and helping them thrive. During that time, we were nominated for a national care award, won Esland’s Home of the Year, and I was proud to be awarded Key Worker of the Year.

I’ve always been someone who puts myself forward and takes on challenges. That mindset led me to support multiple homes and gain experience working with a wide range of young people and behaviours. I learned to adapt my approach, stay calm under pressure and focus on individual needs.

I then moved into Adventures Team Three. Although I had no outdoor qualifications at the time, I embraced the challenge. It turned out to be one of the most rewarding parts of my career. We supported young people who had struggled elsewhere and helped them move forward, even when it initially seemed impossible. I later progressed into a Team Leader role and remain proud of the outcomes we achieved together.

From there, I supported The Willows as they achieved their first Ofsted Good as an assessment home, and later worked at Phoenix Rise as a Senior. That period was one of the most challenging in my career, but it strengthened my resilience and reinforced the importance of teamwork.

I eventually joined May House as a Senior and, over time, progressed to Registered Manager. Together with the team, we’ve created an Outstanding home, one I’m incredibly proud to lead.

Purpose, people and progression

I’ve stayed because I genuinely can’t imagine doing anything else. I’ve met and supported some incredible young people over the years, and every role I’ve taken on has brought new learning and new purpose.

I’ve consistently felt supported by managers who shared their experience and helped guide me when making difficult decisions. Esland is a place where progression is possible if you’re prepared to put in the effort and stay committed to the young people you support.

What the role looks like today

As a manager, my role is very different from when I first started as a care worker. My focus is on planning, evaluating, communicating with professionals, risk assessing, and developing the team. My priority is making sure young people have a safe, homely environment and that we’re delivering the highest quality care possible.

It’s also important to me that I remain present with the young people. At May House, we have two fantastic children who both love dogs, so Pippa, my dachshund, occasionally joins us and becomes an honorary member of staff for the day.

No two days are the same, and that’s part of what makes the role so rewarding.

Growth, resilience and values

One of the biggest areas of growth for me has been confidence in decision-making. Earlier in my career, I often second-guessed myself and looked for reassurance. Over time, experience and support have helped me trust my judgement and recognise that I am capable of making the right calls.

The values I connect with most are Fun and Kind. Building positive relationships with children starts with warmth and approachability. Without kindness and the ability to bring energy and positivity into a home, the role becomes much harder. Young people recognise authenticity quickly, and those qualities help build trust.

Moments that matter

There have been countless memorable moments, from day trips and activities to shared milestones. One of my favourite memories is taking young people on a home family holiday abroad for the first time. It was something they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Creating those lasting memories is what this work is about for me.

And for anyone considering a role like this, my advice is simple: do it. You won’t look back.