Behind the scenes: A day in the life of our adult carers team lead
We recently showed you what a work day looks like for our young carers team lead Kate. Now we have a sneak peek into the day of Caroline Hamilton who heads up our adult carers team.
Caroline Hamilton
Before emails, meetings, and decision-making, my husband, our two dogs, and I start the day with a walk along North Shields Fish Quay while the world is still slow and peaceful. On kinder mornings, I spend time collecting shells and searching for sea glass, a simple ritual that supports both my mental and physical wellbeing.
This is my grounding moment. A pause before responsibility. A chance to clear my head before stepping into leadership mode.
I arrive at work early and review my priorities. This is a moment to breathe before the pace picks up. From 9am when the team starts work, my priority is checking in with them, understanding pressures, and making sure everyone feels supported and ready for the day ahead.
This could look like supervisions, wellbeing conversations, untangling complex carers’ assessments, coordinating workloads, and celebrating small but meaningful wins. Those moments matter more than we often realise.
The phones are quite busy here. Carers are seeking guidance, professionals might be requesting advice, partner services are connecting. Behind every call is a person navigating real challenges, and being able to support them is a privilege.
I then spend time on documentation and reports – the essential behind-the-scenes work that keeps everything running smoothly.
I break everything down visually and in bullet points so carers’ stories are captured clearly and compassionately.
Like many in people-focused roles, lunch can vary. Occasionally I have a proper break, sometimes a sandwich between meetings, often paired with a quick wellbeing check-in. Flexibility is part of the role, and we do our best to look after ourselves as well as others.
Afternoons are often spent working with partner organisations to make sure carers receive joined-up, effective support. Collaboration is key to preventing people from falling through gaps, and strong partnerships make meaningful change possible.
One of the most rewarding parts of my role is supervision and team reflection. We review challenges, share learning, solve problems, support one another, and recognise progress.
Before finishing for the day, I review priorities, prepare for tomorrow, and reflect on the difference we’ve made. Even on the most challenging days, there is purpose in the work.
Being an Adult Carers Team Lead means leading with empathy, resilience, and optimism. It is about supporting people, advocating for those who need a voice, solving problems, encouraging others, and sometimes managing controlled chaos, but always with heart.
I wouldn’t change it for anything.
If you would like to know more about North Tyneside Carers’ Centre, please contact us below.
0191 2496480