Welcome to the team, Lucy!

After a busy 12 months laying the groundwork for Yonder's first test and learn pilots to go live, we're excited to welcome Lucy Bailey to the team. Lucy joins Yonder as Programme Manager, driving our work forward and building important partnerships with the people and organisations we'll work with to future-proof the local social care workforce. We caught up with Lucy to find out what she's been up to, and what she's most looking forward to in her new role...

Hi Lucy! Welcome to the Yonder team! Can you tell us a bit about who you are and what you do?

Hi! I'm Lucy, and I joined the Yonder team a little over a month ago. I'm a Yorkshire lass who's been living in Lancashire for almost 20 years... wow, time flies! I'm married, with two lovely kids and two rabbits who love to eat my plants and chew my skirting boards.

I'm currently learning the ropes as Yonder's newest team member. As Programmes Manager, I've been getting stuck into anything and everything - it's a really hands-on job. In a nutshell, I'm here to drive our test and learn pilots forward, making them work and figuring out which ones are the most sustainable for the future of the social care sector, the ones that'll make a real impact.

Like the rest of the team here at Yonder, I've got a real passion for making a difference and I'm looking forward to seeing our plans come to fruition. I'm already finding the work really rewarding, and it's still only early days. I know that brilliant social care organisations in the Liverpool City Region are facing some tough workforce challenges. It's exciting to be a playing a part in solving some of the most pressing issues these organisations are facing and making life a bit easier for them.

Like you said, you’ve been part of the Yonder team for just over a month. What did you do beforehand?

I worked for a leading national charity in offender rehabilitation for six-and-a-half years in various roles. I began as a support worker, providing full wrap-around support to people coming out of custody, so I have a real understanding of how workforce challenges impact workers on the ground. I then moved into employer engagement, then on to social value, then became a project lead.

All in all, I have over 10 years' of experience supporting people into employment and engaging with people in communities, which puts me in good stead to deliver Yonder's work.

What excited you about this role and Yonder?

Mainly the chance to be a part of something new - something with the opportunity to make a real difference and have a big impact on such an important sector, which makes a difference to so many lives.

What have you found most surprising since joining the team?

Even though I don't live too far away, I've never lived or worked in Liverpool. I've been getting to know the city and I'm in awe of how lovely the city is, with such a rich history with gorgeous architecture and lovely people. I'm particularly impressed with just how many brilliant organisations are working hard to make a difference to the lives of local people and communities.

What does a typical ‘day in the life’ look like for you?

That's a hard one because no day is the same at the moment. The pilots are still in early stages and I'm building some momentum to get 2 or 3 of them up and running. I'm doing a lot of engagement, talking with people and organisations - including care providers, community workers and local authorities - in the City Region to get to grips with what they're trying to achieve.

We've talked about Yonder's test and learn pilots a lot. Could you tell us a bit more about what they are?

Our test and learns are all about doing something new and innovative to solve the Region's workforce challenges. Over the next two years, we've got plans to deliver six 'test and learns'. We'll be working with local providers and partners to build on what works, bringing new people into the sector, building their skills and improving retention.

The first one will be all about developing a neighbourhood recruitment model alongside Transform Lives to support local people into careers in care. This pilot will be based in the L17 and L8 areas, working with providers to think differently about recruitment, increase their visibility and support them to rethink how they recruit people from the local area.

The second pilot we have in the pipeline will focus on developing a network of health and social care students, supporting early career professionals to pursue social care roles. So far, we've been engaging with a local college and recently delivered a session with their social care students. In the session, we were joined by a provider and one of their service users who shared a 'day in the life' of what their support looked like. It went down really well, and we have a first cohort of students beginning placements with the provider.

That's the most I can say at the moment, but there's lots bubbling away and we have plans for another couple of pilots later this year.

Finally, what are you looking forward to most in your role?

I'd say that what I'm most looking forward is kicking-off our first pilot. I think it's going to make a real difference to the local community and providers in the area. It involves a lot of engagement, and I can't wait to see it all come together!

Interested in our pilots and want to know more? Get in touch with Lucy by emailing lucy.bailey@yonderpeople.org