By Mencap
"I’ve been a
support worker
Support workers
Support workers are people who are paid to give care and support to people who need it.
are people who are paid to give care and support to people who need it.
for over 30 years and I feel so passionate about the job I do. You’re helping people to do the things most of us take for granted and live the best lives they can.
The role is really varied, I might be helping someone to get a job, supporting them with their job application or
interview
An interview is a meeting where you talk to someone or a group of people about something. When you have an interview for a job, you have to answer questions and say why you would be good at the job. The person who gives the best answers is offered the job.
practise, hold their hand as they go through chemotherapy treatment or be a shoulder to cry on when their loved one dies. You get to know your clients and what will make their lives better and you want to do everything you can for them. I choose to be a support worker because the people we support could be us – our kids, our brothers and I want them to live spectacular lives. I get a buzz from knowing I have changed someone’s life."
Sadly, I think support workers are invisible and forgotten by society. People don’t realise everything we do for the people we support and how we enrich their lives."
"Without us, some people will be unable to shower, go to the shops or get their medicine from the cupboard. Some people you see in shops and cafes with a
learning disability
A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things.
wouldn’t be able to work and be such a valued part of the
community
A community is the people and places in an area.
without us.
The current
social care
Social care means the services that give care and support to people who need it.
system is unsustainable for people working in it. I am being really affected by the low pay, working many hours of overtime each week to make ends meet. I’m using food banks and I worry about my car giving out – it’s 14 years old. There is little difference in pay across the sector between new recruits and experienced staff, and other jobs offer more money for much less responsibility. But I have such bonds with the people I support and I can see I’m making a difference. As staff you turn up to someone’s house every day for six months and they share their life history and their story so it’s sad when I hear about people whose support worker has left. That person they have built a relationship with has just gone from their life."