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What is support work?
Support work is typically defined as assisting people who require care to live as independently as possible.
However, any Support Worker will tell you that, while this is correct, there is far more to the role than this definition implies!
Archway Safe Links support workers help service users to live the best lives they can. This entails using a person-centered approach that focuses on understanding the person being supported; how they prefer to be communicated with, what motivates them, what frustrates them, and what they want to achieve. This takes time and patience, but once a support worker has the information, the impact they can have is immeasurable.
However, it is true that promoting independence is an important part of the role, and there are numerous ways in which our support workers work to accomplish this. For one person, it could mean getting a job, whereas for another, it could mean learning how to cook a meal on their own. The role requires a great deal of variety.
A support workers typical day
Every day is different for Archway Safe Links Support Workers, with variety being the norm rather than the exception.
We assist people with a wide range of support needs. Two people with the same needs may find that the impact on their day-to-day life is completely different. When you consider that everyone has their own distinct personality in any case, it's easy to see why no two days are ever the same.
What do support workers do?
Much of what our Support Workers do is motivated by the people we support and their desire to live with as much independence and choice as possible. Common responsibilities include assisting people with: –
• get out and about, participate in hobbies and leisure activities,
• prompts in the morning
• take medication or go to hospital appointments
• manage money and bills
• carry out household chores
• plan trips – and sometimes support them to attend
• socialise with friends, or visit family, and of course, to live the best life possible!
Throughout it all, the service user model of support ensures that the individuals we support are at the centre of everything we do.