In the last 4 years and few months, I worked (paid or volunteer) thousands of hours in social care supporting adults with learning disability or different young adults but also other people which asked for my support.
I can say now, it is not an easy role/job because everyday if it is a new challenge. Every day when I left the house for work is the moment when I need to forget my emotions, issues and any other business to prepare myself for the person which I need to support.
I like or I don't like, my duty is to offer the best support without to judge the person's life. Sometimes I can be hurt(no physical) because I came with all my emotions, skills, time or resources for that person to live the life which dream it. The feedback from the person can be opposite of my efforts. In that time I need to continue to apply the best support or to find a different way to communicate.
Social care or social work can have massive satisfaction because:
- I can make a difference in someone's life:
- I can be a role model and people to wish to be like me.
- I discover new skills which I never think I have
- I can be creative and find new ways to communicate with people
- Study in time of working
- Make connections
- Learning about my rights in community
- Learning new things from people I support.
- Find valuable people
- I can have more holiday than other people
- I can work flexible if I manage better my time
- Full training in the area and opportunity to grow
- Many jobs and opportunity for over time
- Opportunity to learn about counseling, mentoring and coaching
- I will be challenge every single day when I work
- I can have good salary when I do over time without to sell, having targets, looking at organization account if it is grow or not.
The list can continue more and more. Some of the points from my list and I experimented already, someone of them I will but I can say it is a area where NOT everyone can work.
I heard so many time people saying, everyone can work in social care. If ten years ago, I will say yes, now I am not agreed with this phrase. Everyone can try to work but in the end they will do as a job, get paid and enjoy the money but not the job. In my experience, many people tried but many left after a while because was not the job which they were looking for.
Sometimes I am tempted to search other areas and not because I do not like the job but I can do more. An advantage of social-care area is diversity of the jobs you can work. If the organization offer a good support, they need people to take care of the employees and that create more jobs. In that way you can still work in the area changing the journey a little bit.
It is true and I felt on my skin, social care it is a journey. With a lot of obstacles, with a lot of nice landscapes, with a lot of good people, with a lot of satisfaction when I see a person which I support happy, smile and live the life which desire.
Social care it is a team work even you a lone worker. My work will influence people's day and my colleagues shifts. My work influence organization imagine and I can say, even people from my community.
Human put labels, social care fights against them!!!!!!
