Heather is a support worker from our West Dunbartonshire branch who joined Cornerstone in January 2019.

Before she worked in social care, Heather was a qualified joiner for fourteen years. Coming to care was obviously a huge change for her but Heather explains it’s a decision she had been thinking about for a while. “Years and years ago my aunt was housebound. She had support companies coming in and out and I just saw what a huge difference they made to her life day to day, even just giving her company. I thought if I could give a wee bit of that back it would be amazing. It seemed like a really rewarding thing to do".

Heather’s favourite part of coming into care is the diversity of the role. "There are never two days the same. I was never one that fancied the monotony of an office. I like going to see different places and do different things for different people.” Heather also finds it very rewarding to be able to make such a difference to people’s lives.

“I help people be independent as they can. A lot of the people we support are on their own because of difficulties and personal issues it can be quite isolating. I help them come out their shell a little bit – maybe help them be a bit more confident.”

There are some misconceptions about working in care that Heather feels need challenged. “A lot of people think it’s mostly personal care. This can be a small part of the job, depending on the service you work with, but the majority of the services are about befriending, supporting and companionship. Going to the shops with people, going for lunch and dinner, or sometimes you might do a bit of housework to help.”

Heather would recommend working in care and had some advice for people considering applying.

“Absolutely give it a try. I thought about it for years and there was always a reason not to try it but I thoroughly enjoy it. There are lots and lots of different services and it's great to see the difference you make to peoples' lives. It’s the most rewarding job – the most rewarding thing I’ve done in my life.”

Read more stories from support workers like Heather.

And if you are interested in pursuing a career in social care you can find more information here.