Patsy taught the aerobics class at the leisure centre, right next to the college which also had a day centre. One day, Patsy was asked if she could hold an aerobics class for a group of people with a learning disability from the day centre. She was quite nervous, but she took on the challenge and the class took place every Thursday afternoon. With over twenty people joining every week, she developed relationships with people along the way.
At this point in Patsy’s career, she was ready for a change and when she saw a job come up in the local paper for a support worker at a local registered care home and she thought she’d give it a go. She didn’t have any qualifications and was completely new to the sector, but over time she has gained many qualifications, enabling her to progress to roles including Registered Manager and Operational Manager.
You know, I’ve loved every minute of it. There are probably people out there who quite fancy a career in social care and you can think to yourself, I don’t know if I can do it or if I’m qualified but it’s really about it’s the type of person you are and your values.
For Patsy it’s not just the “champagne moments” being the big life achievements that are important it’s the “lemonade moments”, those day-to-day moments that are a big thing for a lot of people. Seeing the lemonade moments of the people we support is what drives Patsy forward, seeing the progress they make within their lives is phenomenal. Everyone is very different and the progress someone makes might not be as visible day-to-day but looking back you can see the massive changes made by the people we support over time.
With just under thirty years of experience under her belt, Patsy believes communication is a key skill to have for supporting people to live the life they choose. Getting to know how the people she’s supported communicate means she can develop a stronger understanding of their needs and wants therefore providing the best support she and her team can.
It’s a fantastic sector to work in, it’s so rewarding. Everyday is different and that’s something I like about it, no two days are the same, it’s just great.
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