We give quality of life to our clients
ALISON Bratton describes her role as a social care worker as “incredibly rewarding”.
The 34- year- old has been at the 44- bed St Cecilia’s Care Home in Scarborough, North Yorks, for two years and says that she would not now want to work in any other sector.
“I love my job. I hate to hear it called unskilled because what we do here and in every other nursing or residential home in the country is not unskilled,” she said.
“It’s heartbreaking for me personally – just because we haven’t gone to university doesn’t mean we are not hardworking, capable, clever people. I work with people who are aspirational, they want to train and learn more about the job, they want to become managers and take on more responsibility.
“I earn £ 1,400 a month for long hours, but the hours are flexible and there’s overtime. There are National Vocational Qualifications to take and internal training too for those who want to move up the ladder.
“But there should be more training and a proper career progression,” added Alison, who lives in nearby Eastfield. “I found my first few weeks in the job very difficult. I had this idea that social care was about sitting with elderly people having a cup of tea and a chat.
“But it’s much, much more than that. The care we are trained to give, the tasks we perform all contribute to a quality of life for the people in our care.
“One day an old lady said to me as I was leaving: ‘ Thank you for what you’ve done today.’
“I burst into tears, I was so moved and amazed that someone thought I’d had that impact on their life.
“That’s when I ‘ got’ the job – and I haven’t looked back.”