Tony
Before I worked for Thera, I initially worked in fast food then spent 3 years working on a pig farm. I didn’t enjoy the lifestyle of farming and was very unhappy there and felt I needed a fresh start.
A friend of mine, who used to be a support worker, told me thought I’d be a really good support worker. It was not something I’d ever thought about or thought I would be capable of. I wanted to get out of farming so thought I would give support work a try.
I interviewed with Thera East Anglia and got the job, and my new manager asked me to come and meet the people I would be supporting. If I’m honest, the realisation of what I had agreed to do had set in and I phoned my family saying I wasn’t sure I could do it, but I’d already given my word, so I wanted to give it a go.
It is one of the best things I have ever done. I’ve found what I believe I was meant to be and I love what I do. I’ve been faced with challenges I was worried I couldn’t deal with but I have overcome these and have found the job to be so rewarding.
It’s an amazing feeling seeing someone you support happy from something you have helped them experience. I am very lucky to be part of my team, many of them have gone out of their way to help me, as someone who hasn’t been in support work before, to become the best I can be. My manager has been very supportive in everything I have done thus far in Thera and inspires you to want to do the best you can every day.
I’ve learnt that there is no real blueprint to being a good support worker; you can come from any background, any career, and as long as you have a big heart, are willing to listen and learn, and willing to put the people you support first – then you, too, can become a great support worker.