“If you have the right environment and the right people, anybody can thrive”
When Shauna Spence left school at just 15, a flourishing career in social care wasn’t on her radar. As a teenager her education had been disrupted, and a traditional academic route wasn’t possible. Instead she began working and built a successful career in hairdressing, a path that gave her independence and routine, but something was missing.
Alongside hairdressing, Shauna, who is from Castlederg, I worked as a support worker in various in social care settings while studying and on placement for accreditation hours as a counsellor in Letterkeny Women’s Centre
She volunteered in social care before moving into an assistant role at a women’s centre in the Northwest – where she worked for three years. That experience became a turning point, showing her the depth of connection and purpose found in supporting others through difficult circumstances. Shauna says, “I can’t pinpoint a particular time where I decided to pursue a future as a social care practitioner. My sister always did beauty, and she went back and did a Higher National Diploma in Health and Social Care. I kind of always followed her lead through life, and it made sense to do so this time, too.”
That influence, combined with her own experience of counselling as a child, led Shauna to leave hairdressing and retrain as a counselling psychotherapist, moving towards a career in supporting people through emotional and mental health challenges. As Shauna says, “I had been through counselling myself, and I felt like it was a positive thing that helped me grow, so I decided to take that route.”
Today, Shauna is a Service Coordinator at Action for Children’s Western Early Intervention Support Service, where she oversees a dedicated team of family support practitioners, while remaining deeply active on the ground herself.
The quiet power of planting seeds
In her current role, Shauna manages Level 2 early intervention support, delivering short-term, 12-week interventions for children and young people aged 0 to 18, and their families. The goal is to step in early, offering practical and emotional tools to resolve challenges. But beyond the frameworks and models, her work is rooted in something Shauna calls ‘planting seeds.’
For Shauna, ‘planting seeds’ is about the lasting impact of small, positive moments. A conversation, a phrase, or simply being seen and believed, can shift how a young person or parent sees themselves. “What it means is the power of positive experiences, or positive phrases. People might not remember what you said to them, but they’ll always remember how you made them feel,” she says.
Much of the support Shauna’s team provides is tailored to each family. Practitioners may work one-to-one with a young person, with the parents or bring the whole family together. Over the course of the intervention, the focus is on helping families address challenges early. Support can include emotional wellbeing, anxiety, behaviour, school transitions and access to wider services.
At the heart of social care is relationship building, and Shauna emphasises that effective support relies entirely on authenticity. She routinely advises her team to “Just go and talk to the person, because if you’re reading to them from a bit of paper, it can sound forced. When you go and speak to them, it’s a very different story. It stops that prejudgment. You get to know the why,” she explains.
Lived experience as a superpower
She also draws heavily on her own lived experience, which she says helps her stay grounded in the realities families face. Having grown up in challenging circumstances herself, she understands how important it can be for someone to simply show up and listen without judgment. Shauna says, “I’m a firm believer in post-traumatic growth. I don’t think you’re defined by where you come from or what you have been through. With the right mindset, environment and people, anybody can thrive”.
Shauna returns to the same principle; relationships come first. And though doing this work can be emotionally demanding, it is also deeply rewarding. Shauna teaches her team to celebrate the small victories, recognising that progress is deeply individual. “A lot of my work is keeping everybody very focused on the person. This is their goal and their time to do it. A single step for one person could be very different for another person.”
By helping parents and children, social care practitioners create a multi-generational impact. Shauna states, “Our work has changed relationships, which have changed family dynamics. It’s like a ripple effect for children that follows into their adult life.” It is in those moments that the idea of ‘planting seeds’ becomes very real.
Throw yourself into every opportunity
Shauna’s journey from leaving school at 15, to establishing a successful hairdressing career, to now working in social care, proves that passion, a willingness to learn and focus on genuine human connection can take you towards a fulfilling career.
For anyone wondering if they have the right background or confidence to enter the profession, Shauna says, “Just go for it and throw yourself at every opportunity. I came with the basics of experience and education and worked my way up. Don’t be afraid to learn, because it’ll pay off in the long run.”
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 Interested in becoming a social care practitioner? page or read more here.