Rosie’s commitment to mental health support
Supporting mental health with heart
Rosie has been a Support Worker at Lombard Street in Newark since December 2019. Although she briefly left to explore other roles, she remained on the bank team and always found herself returning. Now back as a full-time permanent member of staff, Rosie says it’s the people that make Lombard Street special.
Rosie’s motivation to work in mental health comes from personal experience. Her sister has autism, and the challenges her family faced in accessing the right support inspired her to get involved. She wanted to understand the system from the inside and be part of making it better.
At Lombard Street, Rosie and her team use a person-centred approach. Each service user has a key worker and co-key worker, and support plans are created and reviewed with their input. Monthly tenant meetings encourage open discussion, and staff are always available beyond scheduled sessions. Rosie believes that flexibility and trust are key to building strong relationships with service users.
She describes the team and her manager as the reason she feels supported and happy at work. The nature of mental health support brings both rewards and challenges, but Rosie values the ability to return to the office after a difficult session and talk openly with her colleagues. That sense of shared understanding and teamwork, she believes, directly benefits the people they support.
When someone is in crisis, Rosie focuses on staying calm and listening. She pays close attention to both what is said and what is shown through body language. Familiarity and trust often help her guide someone back to a calmer state, using coping strategies or personal items like music or photos. If needed, she doesn’t hesitate to call for help or involve emergency services. Afterwards, she always debriefs with her team to look after her own wellbeing too.
Rosie has completed a wide range of training since joining NCHA, including de-escalation, medication in mental health, personality disorders, and dialectical behavioural therapy. She’s also due to attend training on neurodiversity and the Oliver McGowan course. While training is essential, she says that learning from colleagues in real-life situations is just as valuable.
Rosie works closely with a range of professionals, from psychiatrists and social workers to care coordinators and GPs. She supports service users with everything from health appointments to setting up bank accounts or utilities.
For anyone considering a career in mental health, Rosie says the key qualities are patience, empathy, adaptability, resilience, and teamwork. Most importantly, it’s about helping people rebuild their confidence and believe in themselves again.
If you would like to make a difference and support people with mental health difficulties, come and join our team.
