I used to work in a local supermarket, filling shelves, working on the till, and serving customers. Over a few years, I felt like there was something missing in my life, feeling a bit empty coming home that I hadn’t really made a difference at all and not feeling very much worth.

This all changed when I took the big plunge and completely changed career, starting off in a local agency working with adults with disabilities on a bank basis. The hours were very hit and miss, but I started to get experience doing things I’d never done before, but the regular staff were very supportive, and their support and following care plans helped remove the fear of doing things like assisting with personal care.

I got my big break when I was offered a permanent role with a salary – which I thought was amazing for care work – which I’d always believed was pretty much only zero hours contracts. And as the days went by, an amazing thing started to happen – as I physically saw how much of a difference just me being there and assisting with what were simple tasks for me – my feeling of self-worth really genuinely increased. As I saw the difference I made, I didn’t feel empty any more. I’ve worked in care ever since.

Andy