Working in our Specialist Support Division: video transcript

Beatrice, Positive Behavioural Support Worker:

I chose this type of work because I find it quite rewarding.

Helen, Positive Behavioural Support Worker:

I wanted a challenge.

Rashid, Positive Behavioural Support Worker:

I wanted to make a change to somebody’s life.

Ruth:

I got 24-hour support.

Gavin:

Well it’s freedom, nice neighbours.

Helen:

It’s just making sure somebody lives their life to the fullest.

Richard Tellam-Clark, Director of Specialist Support:

Hi, welcome to this short video about specialist support at Affinity Trust. We’re currently recruiting for specialist support workers in our division.

The aim of specialist support is to transition people from a hospital setting or s similar institution into their own home. So you have people with autism, learning disability, people with a mental health diagnosis – those people who are ready to move on from hospital – and provide them with that specialist accommodation in the community.

People gain their life back, their life choices back, their independence back. They gain choice.

Ruth:

I like to be independent. Things to do like washing up, doing the pots, cleaning, cooking. I go out more on my bike now. Can watch TV if I wanted to, or can go in my room and relax.

Gavin:

Where I was before, I couldn’t go out as much as I wanted to. But here, if I wanted to I could just go into my own lounge, pick up my own remote control for my TV and just turn it on. I can put my own gas fire on when I want to, watch TV when I want to, fall asleep in the chair if I want to. Living here is fantastic, it really is.

Kim, Team Leader:

It’s all about promoting independence. You’ve got the capability to let them live a good life and an independent one, where people have come from hospital settings and they’ve got their own space. So I think to me that’s the rewarding thing.

Christelle, Positive Behavioural Support Worker:

Being able to support people to realise their dreams, to make informed choices about who they are, what they want to do, what they believe in.

Ruth:

To be a support worker you’ve got to be reliable, you have got to be honest, the truth, be on time.

Helen:

I think you have to be quite open-minded. You have to be very accepting of other people and the way they live, their beliefs.

Daniel, Positive Behavioural Support Worker:

Patience, compassionate.

Gavin:

And somebody that’s not very, um, strict. I do like to do things In my own time.

Daniel:

In my work I support people by health needs when it comes to their hygiene, food hygiene, personal hygiene.

Helen:

One day you might be teaching somebody how to cook, the next day you might be teaching somebody how to tie their shoelaces, or even teaching them how to cross the road.

Richard:

There are times where things can be really tough There are going to be behaviours that challenge. But there are going to be the rewards. There are going to be the good days. To see people overcome those challenges and support those people and then move into their own home – it can be very enriching and very rewarding.

Beatrice:

You have moments that are, you know, good moments and you have challenging moments, and I think that’s why we are deemed as support workers that are working with positive behaviour.

Helen:

Just trying to keep their anxieties under control because a lot of the people we support do have mental health issues.

Beatrice:

There is a lot of support. I know a lot of people who think if I go into support, how will I be able to work with someone, but you find that you’ve always got support from your colleagues, you’ve always got support from your management, you’ve got support from the company. Itself. You see changes; I think for me that’s the most rewarding thing, that you feel that you have made a change in someone’s life.

Christelle:

It’s truly rewarding to see that empowerment factor of it. But you coming in as a guide, facilitating them to do that thing which they want to do themselves.

Gavin:

[On the phone] Hi, can I get a taxi please?

[Speaking to support workers] Are you ready guys?

Beatrice:

It’s just little steps everyday, every day is different.

Gavin:

[Speaking to support workers] We’re going to be filmed as we’re leaving.

Richard:

If you’re an inspiring, motivated, solution-focused individual who wants to join a specialist division…

Gavin:

[Speaking to support workers] OK, let’s go guys, pretend he’s not there.

Richard:

…if you’ve got that experience of work in health and social care, or if you’ve got the life skills that we need, that you feel that we can use – please get in touch, come and join us and make a difference.