It’s well-known that charity work is very rewarding, but it also creates some challenging situations on a daily basis. The same can be said of life with Seashell, as we care for individuals with complex needs and disabilities in our specialist homes and school. We asked our staff questions about the best aspects of working for a charity and collated their answer for you here. So continue reading to find out more.
Why work for a charity?
Working for a charity does come with its challenges and there will be bad days occasionally. However, the reward for helping and caring for people who lean on you for support far outweighs any negativity.
At Seashell, a residential support worker would work within one of our support homes to care for children and young adults with complex needs. They not only provide general care, like eating, getting dressed and day-to-day activities, but they also support them in their education.
We asked our staff about working for a charity and they said they “enjoy working with and supporting people”. In terms of the rewarding aspects of their roles at Seashell, answers centred around helping people and seeing even the slightest difference that they can make helping them greatly. It is especially rewarding when behaviours escalate, the support workers know how to deal with the situation to calm the individual down and improve the atmosphere.
Daily challenges of working for a charity
Staff at Seashell, when faced with difficult situations, work together as a team to support each other and the young people they care for.
Also, wages in the care sector are a big issue nationwide. An individual at Seashell recently worked on a campaign alongside UNISON called, ‘Care Workers Demand a Pay Rise’. It was nominated for an award and won! The award show took place in London with Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, handing out the award.
Which skills do support workers need working for a charity?
Staff at Seashell believe that in order to thrive when working for a charity, an individual requires patience and understanding, and should be willing to learn new skills. They should also be able to adapt to new situations, and sometimes very quickly.
Daily activities and responsibilities while working for a charity like Seashell
Every day is truly different at Seashell! At the moment, young adults in our care are enjoying visiting the zoo and going swimming. We were also recently invited to the Big Jubilee Street Party in Manchester Arena, which the young people in our care enjoyed.
Day-to-day, residential support workers spend their day ensuring the house is running smoothly and safely. They undertake daily recording of incidents and activities, update of support plans, makesure risk assessments are completed, ensure the log book is up to date, and much more.
In terms of general maintenance of the support homes, care workers will try to encourage the residents to carry out their own activities in order to build life skills, but we must ensure rooms are ready for the next person staying.
What other departments do residential support workers help with?
Residential support workers not only care for individuals within our homes at Seashell, but they also work alongside the Active Team to book on-site activities, such as swimming, the gym and the climbing wall. If a young person staying in one of our homes attends the Royal College of Manchester, we work closely with therapists as part of a multidisciplinary team to ensure we’re giving the best support to the individual.
Jobs working for charities
At Seashell Trust, we have a wide range of jobs available. Check out our available jobs and work with us at Seashell. Opportunities include residential support workers, clerical staff and teachers at our school.
If you’d like to work at Seashell, care for amazing people and be part of something special, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us on 0161 610 0100, or email us at info@seashelltrust.org.uk.
