“I thought it would be scarier, but it’s an
extremely fulfilling role”
Social care was not Rachel O’Neill’s first career, but it was the one she was always meant to do.
The now 61-year-old from Bangor first worked in the retail and hospitality sectors, before her mother-in-law turned her attention to home care opportunities.
Rachel explained, “I would do some shifts when my son was in primary school because the hours suited me. That was when I first got a look into what social care was all about. It’s what started my love of helping people.”
It wasn’t long into that when Rachel’s attention was turned back to education. She went on to get a Degree in Art and Design, but after a successful 25-year career in art education, Rachel knew she needed a change.
Speaking about the decision to re-enter social care, the mother of one said, “I always really liked care work before my degree so I went back to the agency I used to work with in care homes.”
However, 25 years had passed and Rachel found it harder to manage the longer shifts, prompting her to look into different aspects of social care.
“I got a job in a day centre working with people with mental health issues, which I was really looking forward to. There were a lot of elements to that job which suited my lifestyle. The whole year was blocked out for me to be there, but within three months, lockdown hit.”
Lockdown meant day centres were no longer being used, disrupting Rachel’s job plans. She could have chosen to stay at home and wait for day centres to reopen, but instead, she put her skills to use and joined the many other health and social care workers by going back to work in nursing homes during the pandemic.
She explained, “It was hard being in nursing homes during lockdown. My day-to-day was focused on the residents’ personal care and meals, I was walking around 19,000 steps a day as they were all so isolated.”
After lockdown began to lift, Rachel wanted to try day centres again, so she went for her current role as a Community Social Support worker with the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.
While it’s not a role she would have initially considered for herself, it soon became obvious to Rachel it’s what she was meant to do.
“I didn’t have much experience working with people who had learning difficulties, so I wasn’t sure if I was going to be good at it straight away, but I loved it. I did go in a bit blind, as the world was still coming out of lockdown, but I just got on with it and within three months, with the support of others, I was settled into the role.”
Every day is different in her role, with her tasks including two-three support visits a day, doing whatever activity the people she is supporting would like to do, varying from going to the gym, mountain walks or just meeting for a coffee and a chat.
For Rachel, what she loves the most is when she sees the appreciation from the people she provides support to.
She said, “It’s lovely to get acknowledged by co-workers, but getting it from the people you support themselves or their families, well that is really special. You build a relationship with them, and they trust you. It’s such an amazing and rewarding feeling.”
In terms of building relationships with the people she supports, Rachel believes it’s important to learn their personalities and tailor support visits to their preferences.
“They do get attached to you. When there is trust, they find it easier to open up. Building a rapport is so important.”
One case in particular that stands out to Rachel was with a girl who had some trouble in the past.
Rachel explained, “She would lean too much on other people. I worked with her over time and showed her she is a very capable person and cando things by herself. With perseverance and over time she started believing that, and there has been a huge difference in her life. She’s much more independent now.”
Although the job comes with many positives, it does have tough moments. Speaking about the challenges, Rachel said,
“You sometimes second guess yourself, especially at the beginning, but over time, it gets easier.”
When it comes to the qualities you need to fully excel at social care, Rachel believes “patience, a good sense of humour and a thick skin” are essential.
Giving advice to people potentially thinking of getting into social care, Rachel said, “Just go for it. You will never know what it’s like if you don’t try. I thought it would be scarier than it was, but it’s actually just a really fulfilling career.”
Feeling inspired? Working together to change people’s lives… Make a difference by embarking on your journey into social care. For more information on how you can start your journey check out our A career in social care page or read more social care stories here.
ENDS