“There’s such a strong sense of achievement every day”
Natasha Lester always enjoyed spending time with her younger siblings. As the oldest of seven, she always had a caring and nurturing nature.
However, during her studies in childcare at college, she felt it was not the course for her, and made the decision to leave and start work by going into retail full time.
It was while working in retail that a friend mentioned a role opening in supported living with adults with Autism initiatives. Natasha applied and got the job.
“I was there for three years”, Natasha explained. “In supported living, we support the person through everything from the minute their eyes open, until the minute they go to bed.
“This includes all of the personal care, feeding activities, grocery shopping and appointments. Everything they need, we provide support so they can be as independent as possible.”
Again, another career suggestion came, this time from Natasha’s sister-in-law who informed her of a project outlook worker role in the Newry and Mourne area and Natasha immediately knew it was something she wanted to do.
Speaking about her day-to-day at The Cedar Foundation, Natasha explained, “We provide a short break service for young people and their families on a weekly and fortnightly basis. In my role, we have 30 hours of time where we deliver work with the young people, and then we have seven hours of administrative time. I like to do my admin in the morning, so it is out of the way and I can spend the rest of the day with the young people.
“After an initial visit where we complete all of the paperwork and policies, I build a relationship with the young person through my visits. I like to find out their interests and hobbies early on to make them more comfortable with me being around.
“The visits could be home-based or out in the community. It’s always great when we can get someone into a youth club because the end goal is for them to be able to continue without one-on-one support.”
Natasha noted one of the most important things to do is meet the young person at their level and always be ready to adjust your plans.
“I love seeing the young people grow. Even when you don’t think you have been a big part of it until someone mentions it to you, it’s so amazing to see. A young girl who is leaving the service in July told me I had grown to be like a big sister to her.
“We make friendships with them. It’s not just building a rapport, it’s about building a friendship. It’s amazing when they start to let you in.”
One situation that stands out to Natasha is when she first started her role and had to help navigate hormonal changes and outbursts from a teenage boy with Down syndrome.
She explained, “I had to provide support and help the family navigate through the emotions he was experiencing. I also started bringing him to a youth group to support him to get more independence and now he attends on his own, without my one-to-one support. It’s so lovely to see he is okay to do that and to know I played a part.”
Natasha is always looking for new ways add to her social care experience. Through a training course she has been taking at The Cedar Foundation, Natasha has taken part in volunteering at the Share Centre in Fermanagh. She supported a group of adults who have learning disabilities in rock climbing. Among the group was a man in a wheelchair who was sitting out and not participating. Natasha checked if it was okay if she could support him to do the climb by attaching him to her harness and assisting him safely up the wall.
“I believe there are always ways we can do things together, even when they seem impossible. I asked the carer and the man himself for permission,” she explained. “A lot of people questioned if we could do it together, but I knew we could. He was so happy when we reached the top. He never thought he would be able to do it. The smile on his face was incredible.”
While the job may bring a lot of uplifting moments to Natasha, it hasn’t been without its challenges, especially at the beginning. Natasha said, “You aren’t prepared sometimes for the different situations you may have to provide care within. For example, if there’s been a breakdown in the parents’ marriage it can be hard navigating the emotions of a young person, while trying to support them through the next steps of such a big change.
“I also find it harder when I can see that early intervention could have prevented things from getting worse when they grow up. We need to support young people accessing social care support combat the things they are facing so when they are older they don’t have to carry it with them in a way that holds back their true potential.”
Although many qualities are needed to work in social care, Natasha feels the most important one is patience.
“Step back and give people you support or care for the time and space they need to open up,” she said. “Everyone’s needs are different. It’s so important to know how to speak to them where they are at and to allow them to be in charge of their own decisions.”
For those pursuing a career in social care, Natasha believes perseverance is key to enjoying it.
“Be open to all of it, and don’t be afraid to ask the questions. Make sure you do not give up at the first hurdle, there will be bad days and good days, but the good will always outweigh anything else – supporting young people to full lives is what it is all about”.
Want to find out more about Natasha’s story? Watch her video below.
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