As a Child and Youth Care Worker, Niamh feels a great sense of purpose and everyday she looks forward to going to work knowing she is making a difference.
Niamhās dream since being a little girl was to help people. Through 91¶¶Ņõās Career Start training programme her wish has come true! Niamh is now a qualified Child and Youth Worker who is highly dedicated to supporting care-experienced children and young people to thrive.
Hear from Niamh About Her Career In Care
In Niamhās eyes, her responsibility is to create happy childhoods for the youngsters in her care: āGrowing up in care can be life changing, but it doesnāt have to be a bad thing. If young people have caring adults around them, young people can realise their full potential and achieve amazing things with their lives.ā
āThe aim is to give them a childhood full of love. I want young people to look back on their time here and think āthey really believed in meā.ā
Compassion guides Niamh as she tries to champion young people to be the best version of themselves.
Niamh fully understands the impact she has in shaping young lives in the work she does each day within one of our childrenās residential houses: āIn my role, I offer constant support to young people. I listen to them and give advice when needed. We go outside and play and I go in goals when playing football. We often end the day watching a good movie too.
āI would describe our house as somewhere you walk into and immediately feel the warmth of a happy home.ā
āIdeally, I want young people to feel lighter after spending time with us and start to feel empowered to make healthy choices and good decisions in their own lives.ā
Niamh is truly motivated to making those around her feel settled and comfortable.
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Niamh Share What Her Responsibilities Include
Teamwork is one of the main things Niamh enjoys most about the Child and Youth Care Worker job role. Her upbeat and friendly personality makes her a joy to be around and she works well alongside everyone involved in the childrenās lives.
Niamh is entrusted with promoting the Promise amongst the team. Her enthusiasm boosts overall morale as she helps her fellow youth workers realise how much the values of the Promise are embedded in the daily routine.
Itās important to reflect on how we support care-experienced young people to feel loved, respected and safe and Niamh actively starts relevant group discussions: āI have found ways to show the house how the Promise is linked into everything that we naturally do. I have evidenced all our memories in our āPromise folderā with plenty of photos. There is also family feedback as we encourage positive family relationships and are in frequent contact, sharing good news.ā
Niamh uses props to pose questions to staff members, prompting them to think about their actions: āI use cards – an example of the card and what itād say would be – āmy family are involved in all decisions of my lifeā. I would hand out different cards to the staff team and ask how we achieve this for our young people. The answers come straightaway, as I say the team do this every day.ā
Questions are also put to young people: āI catch-up with young people with specific questions and I take their answers to the team meetings, and we, as a team, learn from the responses.
Young people are the priority and their wellbeing and needs are central to all decisions from the moment they arrive: āI maintain the āwelcome packā which can be given to a new young person before they arrive, this has pictures of the house and the staff. It gives them an insight into what to expect and what itās like here.ā
āI showcase all of our young peopleās achievements and keep a note of what goals have been fulfilled successfully. We want young people to see what they can accomplish, realise their own potential and build confidence in themselves.ā
When we take time to get together and think things through, it reminds us that even small efforts can have a significant impact.
A great addition to the childrenās residential house is a Houseparent. This is a new job role focused on making the space feel welcoming while providing healthy home-cooked meals and snacks.
Niamh is grateful to have Houseparent Paulina as part of the team: āWe have a Houseparent called Paulina. She cooks our lunch and dinner and is part of what really makes our house a home.ā
āPaulina has a wonderful relationship with the young people and we all adore her.ā
91¶¶Ņõ exists to give young people a chance at life, which can only happen if everyone brings the energy, dedication and understanding required to work toward the shared aim.
Niamh is a shining example of how one personās actions can inspire hope in others. She is exactly the kind of Child and Youth Care Worker our young people and fellow colleagues deserve to be around. The determination to make a positive difference is exactly what we look for to be part of 91¶¶Ņõ.
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