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Category: Professional Experiences

Sybil’s tips on becoming a support worker

Posted on by Angeline Westley

Sybil is an experienced Team Leader at Progress. Having worked closely with staff at Portland house she is well placed to tell us what is needed in becoming a support worker.

A Progress support worker gives children and young adults (with complex disabilities) practical and emotional support to live happy and fulfilling lives. The job is challenging but also one of the most rewarding things you can do.

As a team leader, I am often involved in the interview process of hiring new support workers. While specific qualifications are needed to work at Progress, I look for people who have the character to cope with the unique needs of the people we support.

To help you get a role at Progress, here are few tips on the type of person who would make a great Progress support worker.

Empathy: When you put yourself in the shoes of those in your care you will have a greater appreciation of the support they need. Always be understanding and sensitive to the needs of other people.

Respect: We all work together to help those in our care. From sharing ideas to encouraging each other, treat your colleagues as you wish to be treated.

Patience: In stressful situations, remain calm and patient. Anger and irritability will affect how you do your job and more importantly impact negatively on the person in your care.

I want to apply, what do I do?

Visit progresscare.co.uk/recruitment today and start your journey in helping others.

5 minutes with…Michelle

Posted on by Angeline Westley

The Support Worker at Wellcroft House, on life at Progress, beverages, and why you should give working with young people a try.

I always wanted to do something meaningful in life. I’ve had different jobs and owned a café too, but it wasn’t fulfilling. When I saw a job come up with Progress I thought, yeah, this works for me. A career and an opportunity to help others? It’s a win-win.

I began life as a night supporter worker. I used to work every other weekend at Oak Cottage and now eleven years later, I’m a support worker at Wellcroft House. My role is to make sure that young people always have the best quality of life. It’s not an easy job, but if you have compassion for others, you really can change lives.

I’ve learnt a lot in my eleven years at Progress. Probably the biggest thing I’ve learnt, is that that you can’t give anything less than 100% each shift. Another human being is dependent upon you, so having a strong work ethic is a biggie.

It’s the young people that inspire me to come to work. When you see them smile because you have taken them out to the park, or they get excited when you read them a story, I feel what I’m doing is having an impact.

Progression is the aim. I have known many of the young people for over ten years and have built a close bond with them. When they move on, you’re sad because you have followed them on their journey. But it means that they’re progressing in life and that’s what we want.

We have had some great times. I remember a non-verbal young person who liked different beverages. I devised a little game so she could become more self-reliant. I brought out a tea bag and a bottle of juice and placed them in front of her. I waited a few moments. I didn’t think anything would happen until she reached and touched the tea bag – she made the choice! I think about those moments a lot.

You should give it a try. If you’re passionate, have the energy and are a resilient person, then what are you waiting for? There are so many children and young people that need your help.

Michelle is currently fundraising for front line NHS staff at Wolverhampton New Cross Hospital. Visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/michelle-rafferty for further information and how to donate.

What does a support worker do?

Posted on by Angeline Westley

Laura is one of the Registered Managers at Stourbridge House. Having started her career as a Support Worker, she knows what it takes in getting a foot in the door and developing a career in health and social care.

Now responsible for recruiting staff, Laura has shared her words of wisdom to what being a Support Worker is all about:

I can honestly say that working for Progress throws a challenge pretty much every day. No two days are the same, so if you don’t want a desk job then working for Progress is for you.

Becoming a support worker is not only a great way to step into the world of health and social care, but it also gives you the chance to make a real difference.

So, you’re asking, what does a support worker do?

At Progress, there are two types of Support Worker; community and residential.

Essentially you will be supporting:

  • young person/young adult in one of our residential homes.
  • a young adult in the community.

What’s the difference?

As a Support Worker in a residential home, you would be assigned to a young person/adult. The young person/young adults you work with will have learning disabilities, complex needs and challenging behaviours.

Your role is to offer direct support to them and also respond to any other tasks dependent on the needs of the business.

Not every young person/young adult is in our homes full time, you may also be supporting them through our short breaks service.

As a Support Worker in the community, your role is to help a young person/adult learn life skills. This type of support is vital in giving them a life of independence. The hours can be flexible so your work can fit around the needs of the business and your availability.

What qualifications do I need?

One of the most important requirements for this job is a real passion for helping others and if you haven’t got any other job experience yet, don’t worry!

You will get plenty of training opportunities to increase your skills. The hours are, as the job states, flexible so if you’re studying or have other commitments, this role is ideal.

If you apply for as a Residential Support Worker, you need a QCF Level 3 or equivalent Caring for Children and a QCF Level 3 or equivalent for Young People/Adults in Health and Social Care.

As with all jobs at Progress that involve working with children and young people/adults, an offer is subject to a satisfactory DBS check.

Do life experiences count?

Look back at your life…

Do you help your grandparents with their shopping? Are you there for a friend when they deal with a difficult issue? Or maybe you too have children with additional needs?

You may not realise this, but the skills you have in helping others are transferable.

Having empathy and respect for others counts a lot.

So, what are you waiting for?

Visit progresscare.co.uk/recruitment to kick-start you journey towards a career in care.

Working in Care Stories: Kim

Posted on by Angeline Westley

Kim is a Team Leader at Progress’s Children’s Short Breaks service, Stourbridge House.

This is her story.

It was Kim Williams’ younger brother who inspired her to work in care. ‘He is autistic and I grew up caring for him,’ she says. ‘I love him to bits, he is such a character and I wanted to help people in a similar situation.’

Kim was just 18 when she became a volunteer for Progress, helping out with activities in the community to gain experience before she started studying for a social work degree. When she went to university, she was a support worker for Progress in her spare time. She then decided to focus on moving forward with her career full time.

‘Progress is a lovely company to work for. I think you are really valued as an employee,’ she says. ‘My line manager identified I had the ability to progress and supported me. I feel that support has been ongoing ever since.’

Kim went on to a senior position in The Hub, helping young people to develop their independence.

Now, at 22, she is team leader at Stourbridge House, which provides short breaks for children aged 5 to 18, giving families a break from day-to-day care. Stourbridge House provides a range of activities like trips to the seaside and theme parks, as well as supporting children and young people to move towards independence and grow in confidence.

Kim’s role involves managing and supervising staff, helping to run the home and supporting the young people. ‘No two days are the same,’ she says. ‘We have 40 different families, so every day different combinations of children come in. It’s really enjoyable to work with children with a variety of needs. Some days we have a child with severe challenging behaviour, other days it’s a child with severe learning difficulties and physical disabilities.

‘It’s lovely to see the children make progress and to see the families being able to have a break, with confidence their children are being well looked after. The children make a lot of progress here.’

Kim has encouraged others to follow in her footsteps and work for Progress. ‘Progress provide such a variety of support,’ she says. ‘It gives you the chance to find your niche and see what you enjoy. I was able to pinpoint where I wanted to be.’

She is hoping to continue moving forward in her career with Progress and one day she would like to manage a home. ‘At the moment I’m really happy in the role I’m in,’ she says.

Kim says it is more a way of life than a job. ‘I absolutely love it,’ she says. ‘It’s a homely environment and you are coming to support children. The children are all absolutely amazing. They are such a joy to work with and every single one of them has their own qualities. You build relationships with them. When I have annual leave and I have been off for a couple of weeks I miss it. I can’t wait to get back and see the kids. It’s a really rewarding role.’

Are you inspired by Kim’s story? A career in care awaits you. Start your journey by clicking here to apply for a job at Progress today.

Why work for Progress?

Posted on by Angeline Westley

Are you thinking of working in care? With many jobs in care on offer, what makes Progress a great company to work for?

1.   We value the opinions of our staff

As an organisation that works for children and young adults, the quality of services we provide is vital to our existence – therefore our staff are our greatest asset.

Without their hard work and achievements, we wouldn’t benefit the number of lives we do.

At Progress, we encourage staff to voice their opinions, suggestions, and ideas. Working on the principle of ‘come to us with an idea, show us and demonstrate that it works’ we will do our very best to support its implementation.

Our staff value that their voices are heard. With any ideas implemented, we will always go above and beyond to ensure the staff member receives recognition.

2.   We continuously evaluate the way we do things

Every day we ask ourselves, ‘how can we be better?. We are always looking at the ways we assist and support our staff, our Foster Carers and our young people and seeing how we can improve on that.

Encouraging and developing young people in our care to be the best they can be is important to us. We have the same philosophy when it comes to our staff, and this is demonstrated through our continuous learning and development.

It is imperative that we work outside our roles across all our services collaboratively. We brainstorm and analyse all aspects of our services to ensure we provide opportunities for people in our care to grow.

3.   We embrace change and opportunity

In our opinion, ‘we’ve always done it that way’ is a dangerous way of thinking. We want to get better. Growing our teams, investing in people and analysing what we can do better for the young people in our care is important as it allows us continually adapt to changes.

We are passionate about everyone within our organisation getting involved in sharing duties and opportunities. From the CEO to the cooks in the residential homes, we all like to get stuck in. We have the attitude of, no job is too small for anyone to do. We believe that there is no hierarchy in a way that someone is more important than others. We all work together to serve the people in our care in the best way possible.

If you are looking for a change of employer or even a change of sector, take a look at our jobs page and see if we have the job for you.

From Senior Support Worker to Managing Director

Posted on by Angeline Westley

Claire Rogers speaks from the heart about her role as Managing Director of Progress. She talks with passion about her values, her aims for the staff and the children.  “I give everything to what I do,” she says, “I love it.”

Claire moved into care from a career in retail, starting work at a school for children with special needs. At first she felt helpless in her new role and was in tears when she went home at night, but she learnt quickly. “I remember the first day I was able to sign to a young person,” she recalls. “He used to get really frustrated because he couldn’t make himself understood. When I understood him, the look on his face was just incredible. That was probably the turning point for me.”

In 2002 she applied for a Senior Support Worker role at Progress and quickly went on to be a Deputy Manager. She progressed through the company and became Managing Director in 2015. Her responsibilities include upholding the values of the company: care, trust, respect and progress.

“I don’t have to compromise my integrity in this organisation,” she says. “The values are right. For me it’s about doing the right thing. I enjoy giving my time and my energy to something that feels worthwhile. I value people. I enjoy seeing them grow and learn; being passionate about what they do.”

She continues, “I get the freedom to make decisions and make a difference. I’m trusted to do that. My drive to do new things and push the boundaries has helped the business to grow and my own career to develop. I always say to staff: if you have an idea, go for it, put the effort in and you will get the benefit.”

Claire’s aim is for the children to be the best version of themselves they can be and that is the same for the staff too. “Care work is not an easy job but it can be the most amazing job in the world” she says. “No two days are the same and it makes it interesting.”

It is important to her to maintain quality and she is involved in the day to day running of the business. “I like to know exactly what is going on,” she says.

She has a broad knowledge and experience and an oversight across the business. She loves nothing more than mapping out a child’s journey through the organisation, pulling the whole organisation together to work in an integrated way. “At the end of the day it’s about kids, it’s about care and it’s about making a difference to as many people as we can,” she says.

Claire describes her personality as loyal and honest. “I care intensely,” she says. “It makes me sad when I see somebody who needs help. If I can do something about it, I will.”

When one young girl died on her 21stbirthday, Claire spoke at her funeral. “She had such profound disabilities, she had every problem you could imagine and yet she always had a smile for you, no matter what was going on,” says Claire. “She could have been in real pain, but she always had a smile. She was tube fed and in a wheelchair but we took her to the Snow Dome and helped her to go down the slope in a giant rubber ring. There were lights and music and when it was time to go back into her wheelchair, she cried because she had loved it so much. She had a short life. She had a life limiting condition. But she had a life and I was able to make a difference to this and give her some experiences which enriched it. These are the things I remember.”

Are you inspired by Claire’s story? A career in care awaits you. Start your journey by clicking here to apply for a job at Progress today.

 

Working for Progress: Phil’s Story

Posted on by Angeline Westley

“I can talk with passion about what I do because I fully believe in it” says Phil McDonald who is at the helm of The Hub, which helps children and young adults with disabilities to get the absolute most from life.

Phil started his working life at the tax office, but feeling unfulfilled, took a leap of faith to work in care and has never looked back since. He started in children’s services working alongside young people with autism and behavioural support needs.

In 2008 he joined Progress, initially as a senior support worker at Shire House.  He moved on to his first managerial role at Regis House, which was then providing short breaks. He was instrumental in the company’s further development of our Hub services, before becoming operations manager of the Hub in 2017.

His role includes involvement in recruitment days. “Quite often people have no professional experience, but they go on to make really good carers” he says. “I think it is important we offer people that stepping stone. Progress is a personal company, it’s not too big. You still know who people are and there’s always a new opportunity. If people fit within the value base and are motivated, they can relatively quickly climb the ladder.” He continued, “We are always willing to train people as relevant to their job role and to support their own personal development. As long as they are willing to engage with it, we are willing to support them to do it.”

Phil says his role is a massive challenge all of the time. “There is always something different happening” he says, which is why he enjoys it. He also likes the difference he can make. “There are people we’ve supported that I have known since they were tiny kids and now some of them are living on their own independently. Knowing that the services we have created for them, have supported them to do that, is a big thing for me.”

Phil explained, “The point I stop being passionate about what I do, is the point I know it’s time for me to not do it anymore. This role is not something you can do half-heartedly. It doesn’t finish at 5 o’clock.”

Outside of work Phil enjoys spending time with his three children. He likes reading and watching films. He describes his personality as ‘pretty relaxed’, adding “I’m not easily phased and I’m relatively flexible. I don’t mind working in crisis and I communicate well with people”.

Sometimes he misses the interaction with the young people now that his career has progressed.  “Sometimes people will come into the office to say hello and I spend a bit of time with them, having a chat. That was what I fell in love with in the beginning, that level of interaction and helping people.”

Highlights have included an ‘outstanding’ inspection when he was at Shire House. But he also points to more individual ‘victories.’ There was the little boy who came for short breaks when he was five years old. “He had a crop of bright red hair and he was like a little whirlwind, running around all over the place” says Phil. “You couldn’t let him out of your sight. We worked with him to settle him down.” He was placed with a foster family and Phil has been delighted to see his progress. At the last Progress summer barbeque, years after they first met, Phil watched him sitting quietly under a tree eating his packed lunch. It is moments like this, moments too numerous to mention, that make his job worthwhile.

Working for Progress: Adam’s story

Posted on by Angeline Westley

It was 7am on a cold January morning in 2012 when Adam arrived for his first day as a support worker. He stepped inside what looked like any other house, to a new career and a new life. Within minutes he was answering questions from curious teenagers, finding his way amongst young people whizzing around in wheelchairs and others getting ready for their day.

Adam was working in a short breaks home, helping young people with a range of learning and physical disabilities.

He had worked with young people before and had been a sports coach. But this time he didn’t know what to expect. ‘It was a learning curve straight away,’ he recalls. He set to work helping the young people, preparing packed lunches and taking a couple of young people in wheelchairs to Sandwell Valley for a trip that afternoon.

That evening Adam didn’t know how long he would stay. But Adam is still with Progress now. ‘I enjoyed working with young people, building relationships with them and wanting to see them grow’ he says. ‘Seeing their progress makes it so rewarding. ’

Adam moved on to become a senior support worker, a coordinator then deputy manager in the Hub, before eventually moving into his current role within the Business Development team. Although his work now has more of a corporate and commercial focus, the purpose is still the same; ensuring the best outcomes for young people.

‘It has been quite a quick progression really,’ he says. Along the way he received ongoing training and has a Level 3 NVQ in Health and Social Care and a level 4 NVQ in Leadership and Management. He has completed a range of training; from safety and medication through to project management.

His career with Progress has had many special moments, like the day he took a teenager in a wheelchair to his first ever football match. The young man loved watching football on television and so Adam took him on a train to a West Bromwich Albion match. ‘He loved it,’ Adam recalls. ‘He still remembers it every time I see him now, years later.’

Then there was the summer he organised for 16 young people to go on holiday to the seaside. They went swimming and to theme parks. ‘All the young people loved their time away,’ he says.

He has been involved in setting up activity groups in the community, everything from arts and crafts to dance, drama and sport. He was also involved in starting a young club for older teenagers.

Adam, now 30, describes himself as a caring person who enjoys what he does. Outside of work he likes football and is a devoted dad who enjoys spending time with his family, including his young daughter.

His advice for anyone thinking about working for Progress is: ‘Come and try it even if you have never done this type of work before.  Give it a go. Meet our young people and you probably won’t want to leave.’

Would you like to work for Progress? Click here and apply through our website today

 

 

Supporting Young People

Posted on by Angeline Westley

We want to be able to share with your the amazing things Progress carers experience in their job every day.

Mark is a Progress carer and has been supporting Jay for nearly three years.

This is his story:

Jay is very high on the spectrum of autism and has minimal vocabulary.

Despite this, Jay’s Mum really wanted her son to take part in activities that benefited not only him but also the wider community.

I did some research and found a program that was looking for volunteers to help maintain and preserve parks in the West Midlands.

It was with much anticipation that we arrived on the first day alongside the other volunteers. Jay was delighted to see so many people he was going to be part of a team with. Something was said on the first day that stayed with me.

The person running the program suggested that Jay being in the park alongside other people, may not work. However, he was willing to allow Jay to stick around. When you hear things like this, it saddens you. I knew that Jay would show that he is more than capable of participating despite all his disabilities – after all, we are all able by our abilities.

Volunteering brought out so much in Jay, it’s incredible. He’s making friends, working hard and giving back to the community, which is what he and his Mum wanted.

Sadly, it was during this period that his Dad passed away. Being such a strong person, Jay carried on working even though it must have been difficult for him. He also had the added pressure of this being the first year since he finished school.

The moral of the story is that nothing is impossible. Jay has achieved great things despite others saying he wouldn’t. Whenever I see him working, I always look on in amazement to what he has achieved.

I feel so proud to support Jay and have no doubt in my mind that he will carry on achieving a lot more throughout his adult life.

Introducing Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust

Posted on by Angeline Westley

In our last update, we shared with you our mission to choose a charity to focus our fundraising efforts on. We are pleased to announce that our chosen charity is Acorn Children’s Hospice Trust.

Based across three locations in the Midlands – Selly Oak, Worcester, and Walsall – our chosen charity offer an incredible support network of care for life limited and life threatened babies, children, and young people and their families.

In the last year, they supported 876 children and 1,097 families by providing tailored nursing care; such as short breaks, emergency and end of life care at their hospices. The children and young people they look after are not expected to reach adulthood and require constant specialist care 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

We have been absolutely blown away with the level of care Acorn provide, and their holistic approach to ensure that they meet the needs of both the children and young people in their care, as well as their families; an approach that we recognise well.

We certainly felt Acorn Children’s Hospice Trusts’ values aligned well with our own, and thus we made them our chosen charity partner. We mentioned in our last blog that between our staff members we would elect two charity champions that will lead the fundraising. They will be in charge of picking the activities that both our staff and young people can get involved with to fundraise. Between them, they will coordinate the events, be in charge of the money collection, and of course report back so that we can keep you updated of the fantastic events and what the money raised can help achieve.

In our next instalment, we will introduce our two chosen charity champions and find out a little bit more about the exciting plans they have in store for fundraising events. Stay tuned!