What are your areas of special interest / particular skills?
I am very passionate about service user involvement and getting the people that we support involved with the service that we provide. I believe that we can provide a valuable stepping stone for individuals by encouraging them to try new things, in a safe environment, that can allow them to flourish in their life beyond DDAS.
What do you enjoy most about your role with Barod?
Working with people and the variety that it brings. We encounter such a wide and diverse cross-section of society, we as workers are able to learn so much about our service users’ experiences that can help us to better understand and develop as workers. They are, after all, the experts.
What is it like to work in your area of Wales or in your specific service?
Working across Carmarthenshire again opens a window to a huge array of life. We work with people from urban hubs such as Llanelli and Carmarthen and also people who live in very small, rural communities. I started working here in September 2020 whilst there were still many restrictions in place and it’s been great to see Llanelli Town Centre return to the lovely little town that is, full of hustle and bustle.
Please tell us about your average day.
An average day for me working remotely will consist of a number of telephone appointments with service users throughout the day. I will also have time writing up case notes and liaising with complimentary services to try to support the individuals that I work with as best as possible. Essentially though, there is no average day. Once that mobile phone and laptop go on, we could be presented with anything, and that’s what keeps this job enjoyable.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
If you keep looking behind you, you will eventually trip up!