Our People - Senior Support Worker, Pinetree Court

How would you summarise your role?

“I support adults with learning disabilities and mental health issues to move on and achieve individual goals. The objective is to help them to live to the best of their potential in either a community or hospital setting. As a Senior Support Worker I am the contact between the nurse in charge and the staff on the floor. I organise the shift planner with the nurses and make sure the clients’ needs are met. I support clients to access the community and the facilities within. Lots of our clients like to visit the local library, shops and church. I also feel it’s important for me to promote a positive image of the business within the local area.”

Why do you like working for LSH?

“I took a sideways step from my previous role, which was within a business that also dealt with clients with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour. I had over 7 years experience in this field before joining, but I liked the size of the company, the challenges it had to offer and also the prospect of developing my career further. One of the best things about the company is having the in house MDT on hand to help whenever needed. I’ve worked for companies where that isn’t available and it really makes a big difference.”

How have you developed since joining LSH?

“I’ve been with the company for 18 months now and have completed my NVQ level 3 in Health and social care since joining. I’m a lot more confident in what I’m doing now and my understanding of mental health is so much greater now. Even things such as the way I go about writing reports have improved and I’m also far more adaptable and flexible in my approach to work. I still feel I have areas for development and long term I hope to progress my career further into another role that will allow me to utilise the experience and skills I’ve gained so far.”

Would you recommend working at LSH to a friend?

“Yes. I’d be honest, and tell them it’s very hard work, but also extremely rewarding.”