Q n A with Area Manager: Pauline

What makes a good support worker and what does it take to get the most out of the people you support and your team ?

On reflection of this question, I sat back and looked at my team and thought what we all do well. A good support worker must be adaptable to any situation, they must have an interest in helping others regardless of their disability. Communication is key – clear communication and the ability to speak clearly and sensitively when talking to people, their families and/or professionals with the skills to be able to adapt to different methods of communication such as Makaton.

Being a good support worker, you must be a good listener, good at problem solving and the ability to adapt accordingly to situations.

My team always works in a person-centred way, ensuring the person is always the focus of what we do, by empowering each individual to have active choices and decisions in all areas of their lives.

My team are never judgemental, and they remain calm under pressure and when dealing with challenging situations.

All of this and working for an organisation with a positive ethos, great training and recognition enables us all to become a good support worker.

When did you join Pcas and what do you love about working for them?

I joined PCAS as an area manager around 3 years ago, the company has been welcoming and supportive through my transition. The training packages are remarkable along with my designated ops manager and office support.

What is your most rewarding moment so far working in the job?

My most rewarding experience with PCAS so far is knowing I am doing the best I can for the people I support, Having a great team behind me which enables service users to learn new skills and living there lives to the full. The reward is for to see my service users happy, smiling and laughing.