Tag: family support

Self-Care for a Support Worker

Being a support worker can be a wonderfully rewarding career.  However, like other positions that are involved in supporting and caring for vulnerable families, it can be incredibly emotionally draining, too.

It takes a special kind of person to be a support worker, for sure – but even if you are that special type, you still may find yourself feeling drained and emotionally battered after dealing with particularly tough cases.

Self-care is incredibly important for anybody working in such an environment.  Following are a list of ideas that you might want to employ to help you cope with the emotional stresses and strains of being a support worker.

 

Put on your cape

It may sound silly to some, but visualisation techniques can be very useful for helping us to deal with difficult situations, especially emotionally charged ones.  You might wish to try the cape visualisation when going to, and leaving, work.

 

As you approach your workplace, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths in order to centre yourself.  Imagine yourself putting on a thick, bright white cape – this will be your emotional protection throughout the day. Then, when you leave, centre yourself again and imagine taking the cape off.  It sounds very simplistic but it’s a very effective way to help you leave your work at the workplace.

 

Talk

If you’re finding it very hard to deal with the emotions that a particular case is stirring up in you, make sure you talk to somebody about it.  Keeping strong feelings such as these inside is not healthy.  If you are struggling a lot with a particular case, try to talk to one of your superiors about perhaps getting some support yourself.  You may find that a past trauma of your own has been triggered by a negative situation in the family you’re supporting.  Seeking help before it gets on top of you is far more desirable than waiting for it to swallow you up.

 

Take time out for you

We all have busy lives, but we all deserve to take time out to care for ourselves.  Those of us who work in emotionally charged careers such as that of a support worker may find themselves emotionally exhausted as well as physically after a long, hard week.  Be sure to set aside at least a couple of hours at the weekend to do something that makes you really happy – making art, meeting friends for coffee, or just lounging in the bath with a glass of something delicious are all great ways to unwind.  Be sure to surround yourself with positive energy when you are outside of work – swear off the 10 o’clock news if needs be!

 

Remember the successes

The majority of cases that a support worker will deal with will have what could be called a “happy ending”, and the rewarding nature of the job is usually enough to help support workers cope with the more negative times.  However, if youre dealing with a particularly tough situation, it may be useful to remind yourself of all the good you have done so far, and the good you are doing right now – even if the fruits of your labour are not immediate.  Knowing that you are making a positive difference to a family is a very good feeling indeed.

Family Support Worker: Career Guide

A job as a support worker can be an incredibly fulfilling career choice. A support worker can work in many different environments with many different groups of people, but for the purposes of this article we will focus on the role of a family support worker. This is a job not for the faint of heart, but the rewards are many. Support workers do a great deal of good.

 

What does a job as a support worker involve?

As a support worker, you would be working with the most vulnerable of children and families.  Your duties would be different depending on why the family had been referred to you in the first place, but they may include:

 

  • Supporting the parents to improve their parenting skills by encouraging them to attend workshops etc, and by teaching them about the importance of quality time and learning through play
  • Teaching the parents about discipline, the various methods of setting boundaries and educating them about age-appropriate behaviours
  • Helping the parents to learn how to manage the family finances more effectively
  • Helping them to develop their emotional and physical nurturing skills
  • Providing hands-on help in the event of a crisis situation
  • Assessing the needs of a family when a child returns home from care
  • Keeping accurate records, writing reports and liasing with many different health and social care professionals.
  • Acting as a learning support assistant with schools and teachers
  • Providing emotional support and encouragement for the entire family

 

As a family support worker, it would be your job to try to help the family stay together.  Family support workers are assigned to families who are struggling, and whose children would likely end up in care without proper help.

 

What qualifications do I need to become a support worker?

It is important to most employers that you have at least some experience, voluntary or paid, in the field. Working or volunteering in family refuges, community centres, children’s homes or nurseries would be a good start to give you some experience.

 

Qualifications-wise, employers will be looking for one or more of the following:

 

  • NVQ in Children’s Care, Learning and Development
  • NVQ in Health and Social Care
  • BTEC National Certificate/Diploma  in Children’s Care, Learning and Development
  • CACHE Certificate or Diploma in Child Care and Education

 

As a support worker, you will be encouraged to pursue further qualifications while you work, and you will of course be trained in various aspects of your job, such as assessment methods, legal issues, child protection issues and health and safety.

 

Formal qualifications aside, every family support worker needs the following traits:

 

  • Patience
  • An understanding, warm and caring nature
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • The ability to relate to and empathise with people from all walks of life
  • Level-headedness
  • A non-judgemental attitude

 

Being a family support worker is not for everybody. It is hard work, and it’s not always pleasant.  However the rewards are many, and for the right person it can be a much loved, ‘for life’ job.

 

What is a private tutor?

A private tutor is a highly knowledgeable, usually somewhat qualified individual who teaches students privately to help them develop their knowledge of certain subjects.  Tutoring can be a fulfilling and very lucrative part-time job – or even full time, if you gain enough students. 

 

Who would hire a private tutor?

Private tutors teach tutees of all age groups, from very young children to mature adults.  There are a huge number of reasons why someone might hire a private tutor – private tutoring is popular with many different people.  They may be:

 

·         A teenager wanting to improve on a certain subject that they are struggling with for their GCSE’s

·         Parents of a home educated child, who feel that their own knowledge or teaching skills in some subjects is lacking

·         A mature student (or indeed any student) who feels the need to ‘bulk up’ their learning outside of school hours

·         Anybody who feels they need a more tailored approach to education than a school environment can offer

 

How much will a private tutor cost?

Depending on the subject and level of education, you can expect to pay somewhere between £20-£35 per hour for private tutoring.  However, many trainee teachers will offer their services as a private tutor for much less than this as a way to hone their teaching skills further.  If the private tutor will have to travel, it is generally expected that the tutee will pay their travel expenses.

 

I want to become a private tutor. What qualifications do I need?

You will need to have an excellent level of knowledge in the subject you wish to teach, plus the ability to tailor your teaching techniques to your student.  Excellent interpersonal skills are of a very high priority.  It is not necessary to have a teaching qualification, however your level of formal qualification will dictate how much you can charge.  PGCE graduates will be able to charge more than those who haven’t qualified yet, just as experienced teachers will be able to charge more than NQT’s (Newly Qualified Teachers)

 

How can I find work as a private tutor?

You can advertise your services anywhere you wish – local papers, shop windows and billboards are popular choices. However, arguably the best way to advertise is through specialist agencies.  These of course will charge a fee but many feel that it is a small price to pay to ensure your ad reaches those who want to see it.  Many private tutors find work solely through word-of-mouth recommendations, so do a good job and you may find your tutees spread the word!

 

Is there anything else I need to know?

As a private tutor you will be self-employed, so you will need to deal with your own income tax and National Insurance contributions.  Also, it would be very beneficial for you to obtain an enhanced CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) check.  At the present time it is not possible for individuals to obtain these, so signing up with an agency for private tutors would be a good idea.