We spoke with Nicola Almond, a Northern Healthcare support worker at Mary Seacole House, to find out what a day in the life is like in the role of a support worker!
I started work at Mary Seacole House as a Northern Healthcare support worker 12 months ago now. My role can be challenging at times – we never know what sort of shift we are going to walk in to at 8am, but we always arrive in a positive mood!
As soon as we walk in each morning, we are greeted by our residents, and we will have a cup of tea and some 1:1 time whilst the night team assist in handover.
Days are so varied and that’s why I love my job. I was drawn to this particular role as a Northern Healthcare support worker, as I am passionate about supporting individuals experiencing mental health issues, especially as it is an invisible illness, and many people often suffer in silence for a long time.
There are many aspects in the role of a support worker. One aspect of my role is incorporating the interests, support needs and appointments of residents. We have to ensure that key workers are completing their 1:1 key worker session and recording these on Eirmed. These sessions will inform support planning and potentially risk assessments.
We have regular meetings and communications with the care teams of the residents, including our reviews which are explained in the clinical pathway. It is really rewarding working with each resident at the service. Staff confidence continues to grow, and staff teamwork is going from strength to strength.
My role is very flexible, allowing me to use my imagination to become creative and suggest ways to improve an individual’s mental health. The atmosphere at Mary Seacole House is high-spirited, with both staff and residents working together to achieve goals.
It is so nice to see resident’s smiling faces and knowing that we made it happen.
But, like I say, not every day is the same. We can go home ecstatic or we can go home drained, but we all love our job.
If you’re feeling inspired by Nicola’s story, why not check out our current vacancies?
If you want to find out more about the life of a Northern Healthcare support worker, you can read Maggie Davies’ story and Hannah Williams’ story.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash.
