My journey to a new career

Lauren is a support worker for Brandon; she joined us in 2016 after moving from the childcare sector. She tells us more about her journey to a new career in care and what makes her role “amazing”.

I joined Brandon in November 2016 after working in childcare for 11 years. I fancied a career change but at the time was unsure of what I wanted to do.

A friend of mine who works for Brandon contacted me as I’d told them I wanted to challenge myself with a new career. She suggested Brandon and told me about what the role includes and what’s expected. I was excited about the prospect of something new.

That evening I went home and told my partner all about Brandon. At the time he was working in a job that didn't suit our family. We took a leap of faith and both applied for a role.

My dad had previously worked for Brandon as a maintenance man and my father-in-law was also a support worker for the Trust before he became a full-time carer, so maybe care had always been in our blood and we just didn't know!

My new life as a support worker

What’s great about my role is that every day is different, every day there is something to look forward to. A regular day for me at work will be coming into the service and checking the rota book to see who I’ll be with. I support three individuals in supported living, so it can be a varied role. After, we check their daily planner board in the kitchen. The day could include food shopping, horse riding, swimming, personal training sessions etc. and of course, not forgetting the individual’s daily chores.

My greatest achievement so far has been supporting someone to find a volunteer job role. We had a think about what he would enjoy and be enthusiastic doing. In our search, we came across a company through Brandon’s Facebook page called Gympanzees.

Gympanzees is a gym and cafe run by volunteers providing sensory-based activities for children and young people with disabilities. I contacted the manager to arrange a meeting with her to talk to us both about the role and responsibilities, along with their expectations.

During the summer holidays, he worked in the café three days a week for four weeks. It was just fantastic to see him shine, using his skills, enjoying himself and thriving. We're both very excited to be going back at Easter.

I absolutely love my job and every day, I go home with a big smile on my face knowing that I’ve had a good day and that the people I’ve supported have achieved something.

Working at Brandon, I don't see my job as a job. I love coming to work, I’m always happy to do extra and I love being able to support individuals with their future aspirations and desires. Seeing them thrive, their accomplishments, to see them smile and be happy is what makes my role amazing.

Lauren
Support Worker

Are you looking for a change in direction?

Inspired by Lauren’s journey to a new career? Discover more about being a support worker and browse our current vacancies by visiting the jobs section of our website.

If you’d like to meet our recruitment team for a chat, please check the list of upcoming recruitment events. If you have any questions about the events or our current vacancies, please call us on 01454 338 904.