“I’ve found out life is about giving,
not taking”
For 67-year-old Belfast native Harry McGucken, social care is what he has always known. 45 years ago, Harry’s mum suggested he get a job at Our Lady’s Hospice, and he has not looked back.
When he first started in social care, his job was to do a little bit of everything. Speaking about when he first joined the hospice, Harry explained: “I started out at Our Lady’s Hospice working for the Sisters of Mercy in their private nursing home, my mum already worked there for years.
“I did whatever was needed. It ranged from driving and security to cleaning. We were all a team – no matter what we did.”
One of the main things Harry took away from his time at Our Lady’s Hospice was the first bit of advice he received there. He said: “One of the nuns explained to me all we had to do was give TLC to the residents. I had no idea what it meant so when she explained it was tender, loving care, it really stuck with me.”
Harry found a love for supporting people during his time there. Speaking about his decision to stay for 20 years, Harry said: “You just forget about yourself. Your thoughts go to how you can help those around you.
“I was a listening ear to the people who needed it and being the listener really helped them. It made me feel I was doing something good in my life.”
Having been in the social care business since he was young, Harry has witnessed a lot of changes over the years in how social care works. He said: “Nowadays there is more focus on the team you are in and working together, rather than on your own. Years ago, we were all doing everything individually so it’s nice to see how fully my role and duties have grown to now.”
Over the years Harry has worked in many different areas of social care, including a company which provided a delivery service.
Speaking about this experience, the now community support worker explained:
“When I worked for a freight company, we used to do deliveries for the Rowntree Trust for people who had no relatives or had disabilities. They were usually very friendly but sometimes I could see they were alone or in difficult situations.
“It was a rewarding job in that I helped people, but sometimes in that role I felt wanted to be able to do more.”
One of the next social care roles Harry went to was working in the Morningstar Hostel, which aimed to help homeless people. This was something Harry found extremely rewarding.
Speaking about his time working at the hostel, Harry said: “I wanted to continue helping people but I was unemployed at the time, when by chance, I saw someone who worked for the Morningstar Hostel and he told me they were hiring.
The most difficult part of the job at the hostel for Harry was not being able to do more for people. The restrictions and guidelines of working there, though there for a good reason, meant he was not allowed to have contact with service users outside of the hostel, at times he and others struggled with.
“All we wanted was to help them find the motivation to move on and be part of a community – however, you can’t take the work home with you. Homelessness is one thing I hope improves in the future. I met some amazing people from my time at the hostels, and I know there is a lot of work going on now to tackle it,” Harry said.
Around the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, Harry decided it was time to retire. However, nearly two years ago he found himself back doing what he does best – caring for people in his community.
“I went walking a lot with my friend. I believed I was finished with work life, but then he had to get a heart bypass and I was suddenly on my own, with time to spare and wanting to fill my free time.
“That was when I decided to go back to some sort of job, but I didn’t think I would end up back in social care. But when I thought about what I was good at, and I was still good at helping people and talking,” Harry explained.
It was then, that Harry heard about the need for social care workers at the Everton complex, and so he made the decision to apply for a social care post with the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and he hasn’t stopped since.
In his job now as a community support worker in the Trust’s Learning Disability Service, he has his own list of service users, which makes it easier for him to have his day to day schedule planned in advance, so he always knows where he has to go.
He said: “I’ll check how each of them are doing throughout the week, at different times. Sometimes I go shopping for them, or if they’re physically able, they like to come with me in the car. They may even just want to meet for a coffee and a chat. I help them in whatever way they need me to. It is all focussed on what they want to do.”
According to Harry, the most necessary things you need in order to succeed in social care are trust and reliability. He explained: “You can’t do it without empathy. There needs to be a relationship. Give people time out of your day. Loneliness is one of the worst feelings, and there are so many people facing it.
“It’s been an absolute privilege to be able to meet the people I have and to be a part of their lives. I’ve found out life is about giving, not receiving.”
Advising the younger generation of potential social care workers, Harry said: “Don’t jump to conclusions and run at the very beginning. When you come across something a bit hard or uncomfortable in social care, know you can do it. I misjudged at the beginning too and thought I can’t do this, but I stuck to it and ended up loving it.
“Know you will never be on your own. The people I work with are absolutely amazing, we’re our own little community.
“Any young person or retired person like me, who is thinking about it should go for it. You don’t need any special skills to give someone your time and energy.”
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