Hi, My Name Is... Hi, my name is Arnold. I am a Senior Supported Living Worker for St Anne's Outreach Team. I have worked for St Anne's as a support worker since 2001 and have enjoyed my work as I feel it is suited for someone with personal qualities like mine. Being promoted to the post of senior has been a privilege, but I still get a lot of pleasure from going out in the community and doing some fieldwork. My gratitude goes to my line manager, Anne Pickard, who has been very supportive, and to St Anne's for their vision of equality, rights, diversity and equal opportunities. At St Anne's only the sky is the limit. Hi, my name is Tsitsi. I started working for St Anne's in January 2003, the same time that Fearnville Grove Supported Living house was opened in Leeds. I have been working at this location since then and have never regretted. It is rewarding to see how the service users have become more and more independent with time. I give all this credit to the wonderful work colleagues who are a dream to work with, and a very supportive management team. If anyone out there is still looking for a rewarding job with loads of opportunities in training, then St. Anne's is for you. Though I am a foreigner and coming from an ethnic minority, I hardly feel isolated. Working for St Anne's is like home away from home. Its zero tolerance policy on discrimination on both service users and employees has seen it coming up with a Diversity Team, which I am part of that is chaired by the organisation's Chief Executive. As a student, I have time to do my studies and at the same time, earn some income because of the accommodating flexible working patterns within St Anne's that are out of this world. Hi, my name is Jo. I am the Service Manager for Calderdale and am based at St Anne’s Area Office in Huddersfield. I am responsible for a variety of services for people with a learning disability in Calderdale. These include nursing and residential care homes and supported living projects. I support 11 Managers to provide person centred services to all of the service users. I work jointly with other Service Managers and outside agencies to promote a consistent approach within the organisation. I started with St Anne’s in May 1994 as a Residential Care Officer. After completing my NVQ 3 in Promoting Independence I successfully applied for a Home Manager position. Through St Anne’s excellent training programme I increased my knowledge and went on to complete my NVQ Assessors Award, Registered Managers Award and level 4 in Care. During this time I managed residential services and supported housing services. The qualifications and experience that I have gained equipped me to achieve the position of Service Manager when this post became vacant in March 2004. Everyday brings different challenges and I find my job very rewarding. Hi, my name is David. I started work as a nursing care assistant in Calderdale in February 1993, enjoying the whole new experience of “ care work “. Over the years I have enjoyed my job, working in most of the homes within Calderdale, either on a permanent basis or on bank shifts. I have also taken full advantage of St Anne’s training facilities, the main one achieving my NVQ level 3. This helped me to gain access to university, to study full time to become a nurse in learning disabilities. While doing this I still continued to work for St Anne’s, gaining new knowledge and experiences. I completed my course in January 2004, and now work for St Anne’s as a registered nurse in learning disabilities. I also still continue to take full advantage of the training facilities, but most important of all I still continue to enjoy my job in the caring profession. Hi, my name is Angela. In April 2004 I began working for St Anne's Supported Living Service in the Pontefract area. I regarded the post I applied for as an opportunity to gain knowledge and develop new skills in an area of work that greatly interested me, and I think I made one of my better decisions when I joined St Anne's. I've enjoyed every minute of my time with St Anne's (well, almost every minute!) and get a lot of pleasure from my work with service users. One good thing about working here is that the support we all sometimes need is always available. And if I ever spot an opportunity to develop my skills further there are easily accessible training courses I can enrole on. I'm always aware of developments at work because there are regular team meetings where we discuss everything about our work. Also, continuous consultation with service users helps everyone to continually raise standards and improve the lives and environments of the really important people within St Anne's - the service users. Hi, my name is Garry. I have worked for the last three years for St Anne's Community Support Service as a Mental Health Community Support Worker. There are no two days alike. This can partly be attributed to team ethos which is underpinned by a person centred approach. We seek the clients' needs not our own. This is achieved by enabling clients to establish a support plan to address their needs and wants and wishes. By doing this we can set out what we can deliver and what the client needs. Sometimes my office is a bag and a mobile phone but don't be deceived by this. My manager, colleagues and the local community mental health team also ably support me. Mental health has often received negative media perceptions. However, my own experiences have been at odds with this. If you feel you want to help people to budget, stay safe, engage in community activities, access courses, do meaningful voluntary work, monitor physical and mental well-being, and remain a valued member of the community then this is the job for you. Don't be put off by what you see above. While at first glance it may seem demanding, St Anne's will provide you with comprehensive training and support to enable you to do your job effectively. St Anne's Community Services, Registered Office: 6 St Mark's Avenue, Leeds LS2 9B Tel : 0113 2435151 Fax: 0113 2451526 Website: www.st-annes.org.uk E-mail:info@st-annes.org.uk A company limited by Guarantee, Registered in England No. 1089026.Registered Charity Reg. No 502224. Housing Corporation Reg. No. H3158.