Joanne Toner, office manager at AMS Case Management, discusses her role and how she and the admin team support the case managers in their delivery of first-rate service to clients
Please tell us about your background and experience
I have worked for AMS Case Management since September 2018, starting out as administrator and progressing to office manager in May 2022. I have worked within the care sector for 13 years, working directly with clients, then within the office environment. I feel that my organisation skills and attention to detail are important in my current role, and I thrive on being busy.
What attracted you to your current role and why?
After working for AMS for over three years, I decided to apply for the office manager role as my knowledge of the company and case management had grown, the admin team had grown and I felt that I could use this knowledge to lead the admin team into new and exciting times, especially with the up and coming CQC registration at the time.
As office manager and part of the admin team, everything we do relates to what the client receives, as we assist the case manager and case manager assistants in numerous aspects of their roles.
What attracted you to AMS CM specifically?
When I first started with AMS I liked the idea that the role was similar to admin jobs that I had done previously, but that it was something that was new, although still care related. When I came for my interview and met Marie and Nicki, I knew when I left that I wanted the job as they were warm and welcoming and it genuinely felt like a family environment, which I can now say that it definitely is.
How did the pandemic change case management?
Looking back on the pandemic, it is comforting to see where we are now and how busy we are, however at the time it was very daunting. Working from home at first was a novelty and although it did work, it was nice to eventually get back to the office and be working directly with the team again.
Video meetings instead of face-to-face meetings were a big change for the case managers and the admin team did become involved in these to assist in taking notes, which could be quite entertaining at times – I won’t divulge any stories though! This was good as it meant that we got to see the people we hear about all of the time and put faces to names. Thankfully things are back to normal now with face-to-face visits happening where possible, and the admin team are busier than ever.
What makes AMS a stand-out name in the marketplace?
Our rapport with the people we work with, whether that is the client, family members, solicitors or rehabilitation team. I feel that we are open, honest and always have the clients’ best interest at heart.
Would you recommend a career at AMS CM and why?
Yes, we are a close team who work well together and have the clients’ best interest at heart. But not only that, some of the work the case managers deal with can be hard going and the team support each other through these times, as well as celebrating the triumphs together.
