Day in the life of a young person’s support worker

Kim is a Young Person’s Support Worker at Branching Out in Newark and takes us through a typical day.

“Honestly, every day is different. My shift begins at 8am, where I support our young people with their morning routines, including waking those up that have appointments, jobs or education. Next up is breakfast club, where I usually help prepare hot drinks and ensure they are prepared for the day ahead. Then it’s helping to plan the day accordingly to help them achieve their goals.

“The young people we support are all so different but all brilliant in their own way. They can be amazing and sometimes they can be challenging. Some of them love nothing more than sitting chatting and just having someone listen to them. But it is also important to teach them life skills, and today we are going to be doing some cooking. We like to teach them how to cook healthily on a small budget.

“I see all our young people daily but I also have an allocated case load. Each young person I support has a personalised support package that I review with them on a regular basis. They get to be involved to discuss where they are now and where they want to be. We set targets for what they want to achieve both in the long and the short term. We do what works best for each individual. We strive on a person centred approach and each young person is in full control of the support we provide them.

“Many young people are ‘looked after’ by the local authority and come with a variety of different needs. I meet with a Social Worker to ensure we enforce a multi-agency approach. The key is to ensure young people get the appropriate help and support, but most importantly, for their voice to be heard. Throughout the day I can be seen as a counsellor, an advocate, a parent, a financial advisor, a friend but most importantly a Support Worker.

“I am then called to support one of our young people who was having issues with her electricity provider. We were on hold to the utility company for two hours. By having me there to support the young person had provided valuable life skills. They are now confident in speaking on the phone, understanding their energy and having a better understanding. My shift ends at 3.30pm and after a handover I head home.

“My job can be challenging but what makes it all worthwhile is catching up with the young people after they’ve left and hearing about their successes. Maybe they're in work, or have started a family of their own, but most importantly they’re happy and playing a positive role in their community. Just helping one person go down a positive route makes me feel like I've made a difference.”

If you think you could make a difference to someone’s life, take a look at our current job vacancies.