Ramona Ward (32), senior adoption social worker and assistant team manager, Sandwell council
“I started working with children when I was 18 in residential units. I’ve also worked in child protection plans, making sure children and their families are safe in the community. Child protection can be challenging, but I’ve loved it. To be a good social worker you need good organisational skills, be passionate about your job and want the best for the children and their families you’re working with. It doesn’t always have a happy ending – children do get removed from their birth families – but you can help them come to terms with that. You also need a can-do attitude and a sense of humour – it’s a tough job.”
Lynn Day (61), manager of Anchor Cranlea care home, Newcastle upon Tyne
“I do this job because I want to help people. I always knew it was what I wanted to do, whether it was in a nursing or caring role. However, in the past 10 years the manager’s role has changed. The business-side of things has been pushed more to the forefront now and it’s all about marketing and making sure that you are aware of what your competitors are doing. I have had to learn new skills along the way, such as looking at budgets and spreadsheets. I believe you still need a good grounding in care; you should have that perspective. I do think it’s a role for young people – it is a really interesting world to be in.”
Martin Hayden (61), independent living adviser for Penderels Trust, Wolverhampton
“I give advice to people receiving direct payments and help guide them to find the right solution that suits them, for instance, either to employ their own staff or use an agency. If they want to employ their own staff, I make sure that they have all the appropriate information they need, such as how to set themselves up with a payroll company and the health and safety changes they may have to implement when their home becomes a workplace. I work from home and make about three or four home visits a day. I enjoy the variety of what I do and I feel valued. It’s nice to get a call from somebody to say ‘thank you’.”
Archana Rameswaran (23), community learning facilitator in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, for charity MacIntyre
“After graduating [in psychology] I did a three-month placement in Sri Lanka working with young adults with special needs. When I came back to the UK I realised it was what I wanted to do. I work with young adults aged 17 to 22, about three or four learners a week, and provide bespoke educational programmes promoting independent life and functioning skills, as well as literacy. I love the fact that each student is different and have to understand what works with them and what doesn’t. I have to build up trust and it’s very rewarding to see how they progress.”
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