Day service support professional

Jamie's journey into a career in care

Jamie was a postman for 22 years and loved the person-facing nature of the role. Through one of his post rounds, Jamie got to know an elderly lady and began to help her with tasks that she was struggling with, such as grocery shopping. Jamie became an unpaid carer for the lady and loved the experience of helping her to stay independent. In addition to this experience, Jamie began to accompany a family friend to social events ran by social care providers for adults with learning disabilities.

Inspired by his experiences of caring, Jamie began to look for social care jobs. He was initially unsuccessful but he preserved and got voluntary experience working for Choices 4 Life, a day service in Coalville, Leicestershire. After two months, Jamie was offered a full-time role as a support worker.

Day in the life of a support worker

Jamie's role is to promote independence and support people to learn new skills and take part in meaningful activities. Like many daytime opportunity services, Choices 4 Life delivers a timetable of activities that people using the service can choose between. Each day consists of a morning session, lunchtime and then an afternoon session. Activities include swimming, cooking, sports sessions, colouring and crafts, games and community visits to shops, parks and cafes. Jamie helps to lead these activities and to encourage participants to challenge themselves and learn new skills.

Although there is a timetable of activities, Jamie must remain flexible and creative at all times. This is necessary because people's needs are always changing, and it is Jamie's role to place the needs of each individual at the centre of his work. This means empowering people to make decisions about what activities they would like to do. For example, a cooking session may turn into an opportunity for meal and budget planning.

Want to find out about day services job opportunities in your area?

Complete our enquiry form now!