When I left school I went onto college to study Dance at Filton College. When I finished the course I was really stuck for ideas about what to do as I realized it wasn’t really for me. Dance was very much me doing something for me but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would.
I was offered some bank work at the Move On Project in Weston-super-Mare, which I really enjoyed. When a full time position came up, I applied and hot the job. I’m now working towards my NVQ 3 in Health and Social Care and still enjoy the work I do.
Mirella
I am a care and support worker at Sheltered Housing and Independent Living for the elderly at St Monica Trust. I have been working as a carer for four years and before that I trained as a General Hospital Nurse in Belgium. I love looking after people and helping people and being there for somebody when it’s most needed as it makes me really happy. While working at St Monica Trust I have completed my NVQ2 and NVQ3 in Health and Social Care. I love working here because I feel I am a part of a huge family by both staff and residents. I have also finished a mentoring course as I do mentoring in my workplace.
Being a Care Ambassador helped me to have more confidence and share my experiences about the job I love and always wanted to do. I feel valued and appreciated both by our residents and colleagues. It feels lovely to be a part of a great and a caring team. What I love about my job is giving the best care and bringing a smile on our resident’s faces makes my job worthwhile.
Samantha
I am 23 and currently working as Care Assistant in a residential home. If you had told me at sixteen that I was going to be in the caring profession I would have said you were wrong, I have been on a more obscure journey than most finding my job. It wasn’t a simple route but definatly an experience. I first knew that I had a natural aptitude and empathy for caring from a young age where I used to volunteer at a group for disabled and disadvantaged children, until my GCSE's and other studies became my focus and I had to give it up. I then finished my studies GCSE's, AS's, A levels were I found my strength in Art, I completed my Foundation in Art and Design and then went to university for three months. University was not for me, so I left, it was hard to make this decision as its always seen as the route to take, and to grab the strength to say this wasn’t for me was hard. I moved arou0nd to London where I did lots of little jobs to pay the bills and go out these included factory jobs retail jobs and cleaning jobs.
Until one day I told myself that I had enough of this attitude that I had adapted to life, I’m at work for over half my lifetime so why not do something you enjoy. I looked back in my life and remembered the voluntary work and thought that was the time when not only did I feel good about what I was doing but people were benefiting form me, as an individual. I saw my job advertised, I went for it and luckily got it. I remember before sitting outside thinking I can’t do this, I’m not strong enough, but I’m so glad I went in as I now do the job of my dreams. I have onsite training, nearly finished my NVQ 3 Health and Social Care, but I’m working at the same time so I have money coming through to me. The people I work with depend on me and I depend on them, there’s not one day that I don’t want to go into work.
My job also adapts to me, the home I work in knows my strengths in Art so allows me to run activities and do murals through out the building. It’s a fast, challenging, ever changing environment, with a huge support system with an always increasing amount of opportunities. I’m now applying to universities to become a RMN Nurse, Registered Mental health nurse, which I would never in a million years think I would be doing with my life. Care Ambassadors is a great scheme to volunteer with as I feel like I can feel the gaps that I needed filling when I was making a choice about whom and what I wanted to be.
Sue
I’ve always wanted to work within the Care sector, after completing my A-levels I was going to go straight to University to train as a nurse but after advice I decided to get work experience as a Health Care assistant first. Whilst in this role I did my NVQ2 in care and realised how much I enjoyed working with patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia so I decided to get more experience in the mental health field.
I started work for the National Autistic Society (NAS) in 2003 as a support worker in a hospital for adults with Asperger Syndrome who were sectioned under the Mental Health Act. I loved this job supporting people to become more independent and took every opportunity of learning I could completing my NVQ 3, Counselling qualification, Medication Administration qualification and many other training courses. After 2 years I applied to be the Staff Development coordinator and loved being involved in the recruitment and management of staff as well as training the trainee support workers to be support workers. Whilst in this role the NAS let me go on leave for 5 weeks enabling me to go volunteering in Ghana which was a life ambition of mine.
Since then I have taken all opportunities that have arisen within the NAS managing the Bristol Area Outreach Service, then the Bristol Befriending scheme before starting as Manager of Pinecroft in March 2010 which is a residential home for adult males with Asperger Syndrome which acts as a step down home from secure units. I am currently going through the registration process with the CQC to become the registered manager.
I have been lucky to complete further qualifications in these roles and now have my NVQ 4 in Coordination of learning and development, an Infection control qualification, my NVQ 4 in Leadership & Management of care services and a portfolio of training courses I have attended. In my spare time I volunteer for the Julian Trust & Caring at Christmas, both Homeless charities in Bristol in which I work with a huge array of people from all different background including some with addictions, learning difficulties and mental health issues. I am very passionate about my work and love working in the care sector helping to make a difference, I couldn’t do anything else.
I’m Samantha Humphreys, I am 23 and currently working as Care Assistant in a residential home. If you had told me at sixteen that I was going to be in the caring profession I would have said you were wrong, I have been on a more obscure journey than most finding my job. It wasn’t a simple route but defiantly an experience. I first knew that I had a natural aptitude and empathy for caring from a young age where I used to volunteer at a group for disabled and disadvantaged children, until my GCSE's and other studies became my focus and I had to give it up. I then finished my studies GCSE's, AS's, A levels were I found my strength in Art, I completed my Foundation in Art and Design and then went to university for three months. University was not for me, so I left, it was hard to make this decision as its always seen as the route to take, and to grab the strength to say this wasn’t for me was hard. I moved arou0nd to London where I did lots of little jobs to pay the bills and go out these included factory jobs retail jobs and cleaning jobs. Until one day I told myself that I had enough of this attitude that I had adapted to life, I’m at work for over half my lifetime so why not do something you enjoy. I looked back in my life and remembered the voluntary work and thought that was the time when not only did I feel good about what I was doing but people were benefiting form me, as an individual. I saw my job advertised, I went for it and luckily got it. I remember before sitting outside thinking I can’t do this, I’m not strong enough, but I’m so glad I went in as I now do the job of my dreams. I have onsite training, nearly finished my NVQ 3 Health and Social Care, but I’m working at the same time so I have money coming through to me. The people I work with depend on me and I depend on them, there’s not one day that I don’t want to go into work. My job also adapts to me, the home I work in knows my strengths in Art so allows me to run activities and do murals through out the building. It’s a fast, challenging, ever changing environment, with a huge support system with an always increasing amount of opportunities. I’m now applying to universities to become a RMN Nurse, Registered Mental health nurse, which I would never in a million years think I would be doing with my life. Care Ambassadors is a great scheme to volunteer with as I feel like I can feel the gaps that I needed filling when I was making a choice about whom and what I wanted to be.
