Introducing Guest Blogger: Brian Murray

By Brian Murray

I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Brian Murray and I am one of 2 Directors of CarePro Consultancy Ltd. I joined the company, set up by my mother, Bernadette, in June of this year.

Basically, we are both from Care backgrounds, my mother is a Nurse with over 40 years (she won't mind me telling that) experience in nursing, the last 20 years of that being a General Manager of more than 10 Care Homes (all at the same time, she didn't go through one home every 2 years). Myself, well I started working full time as a Carer in 1991, I quickly became a Senior Carer before totting off to work as an Auxillairy Nurse in my local Hospital, during my 5 years in the wards I kept my links with the Care Homes by working part-time in the newly opened Korsakoff unit. After taking a year out to explore other areas (I worked for a year as Digital Satellite Installer) I returned to a newly opened Care Home to take post as a Services Manager. Seven years later and I had worked my way through my Level 4 Management and level 4 Health and Social Care as well as becoming a Moving and Handling Instructor. I applied for a job as Manager in a Residential Home and was delighted to get the post, I worked here for a year until the home was sold and I made my first attempt at working for my mother, circumstances did not dictate in my favour and I found myself unemployed for 2 months before a previous employer made contact and invited me to go and work for them in another Home they owned. I was a little unsure about this but gave it a go anyway and although it was enjoyable (at times) I knew I had reached a stage where I wanted to achieve more so I hooked up again with mum and since June we have been beavering away helping various Care Homes achieve higher grades, improve their paperwork, staffing, training etc.

My current project is 168 miles from home so for the first time in 13 years my wife gets the house to herself for a week at a time.

It's a rewarding feeling, working for yourself but it comes with a great deal of uncertainty, I guess I need to brush up on my marketing skills but hey, it's new, it's exciting and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Photo Above:  Brian Murray

Brian Murray

Can we inspire when feeling uninspired?

By Brian Murray



Working for yourself, or being your own boss, is everyones dream of perfect employment. Like most dreams though, the reality isn't far behind. So why do it if i'm going to moan about it?, well it's human nature to be suspicious of success or satisfaction. I wouldn't be where I am now if I hadn't spent years dragging myself out of bed in the morning and feeling that awful dread and knotted stomach wondering what horrors my daily work was going to bring me and it didnt get any easier when I finally made the transition to Management. "I know what to do. I can change everything, I can make it all better...." the pithy warblings of a wet-behind-the-ears manager until he comes face to face with the one thing that will stop him in his tracks: People. or Staff to be precise. I was always respectful of senior staff when I was a carer/senior carer, I always believed that to stick to your principles in the face of adversity would help you to success and achievement. It was some time before I realised what it really takes to succeed. Courage. Making hard decisons at the right time is where the success comes from, sleepless nights? not so much when you accept you can't be liked by everyone. I was determined, however, to move away from the style of management I had experienced in my life, the look over your shoulder only noticing when you've done something wrong kind. I wanted to illicit respect among the workers by leaving them alone to do their job, to this day I can't work to the best of my ability with someone looking over my shoulder so why expect others to do it? My mantra was 'take the freedom i'm giving you to do your job, but never take advantage.' I have to say most people went for it, if a director appeared and asked why staff were out having a cigarette when it wasn't an 'official' break I could confidently ask them to point something out that was'nt done or required immediate attention.

So why am I on my own now?, well there are still too many 'old school' directors out there who want a simple manager, not a leader. they don't believe in inspiring all of the workforce, just the ones they like. I can't stand favouritism or snobbery. I would see all staff as equals, as a manager if i had a day off sick there would be some extra paperwork when I came back but have a domestic or a carer off sick and you can easily watch the lot hit the fan. I remember my first care job paid £1.65 an hour, the domestic staff were on something like £0.95p, that was 20 years ago and comparitively it hasn't gotten much better. Don't get me wrong, I love the care sector and I am very proud of my career so far but now I've decided that I won't achieve the levels of greatness I expected within one workplace because I couldn't get the support or backing I needed and instead I offer my experience to anyone who cares enough about their business to see that they need to change but don't know where to start.

Next weeks blog - How to remove wings from wasps without being stung.

B Murray.