Are you good at reading people and social situations? These skills are often not seen in an academic sense, but in our world, that is top quality.
Jordan – Behavioural Support Specialist
The social care sector gets a lot of coverage in the news, especially in the past few years, which means many people have an opinion of what it means to be a support worker - but they're probably wrong! We've heard people say working in care is only about providing personal care, or that lots of experience is needed, or there is no career progression. At Brandon, none of those things are true.
Who cares? We do
We are on a mission to dispel misconceptions about taking on a role in social care. At Brandon, our support workers help the people we support live the lives they choose. This can include anything from accompanying them on their weekly shop to helping them learn a new skill or even taking them to their first rave! What you hear and see through the media is just one view. We want to highlight the truth about working in care at Brandon.
At Brandon, we are recruiting for support workers. This role in care differs from what you might associate with a typical care sector role. You can truly impact someone’s life, providing them with independence and freedom so they are supported to live the way they want to.
Sophie Smith has been a support worker with us for three years after joining Brandon at the grand age of seventeen. Sophie worked tirelessly through COVID and had to adapt, as we all did, to the restrictions this brought to us. Not only was she learning a new career but also how to support a gentlemen classed as extremely clinically vulnerable.
In December 2020, our Area Manager received a plea from the local authority to help a nursing home external to Brandon, that was suffering a large COVID outbreak. Sophie selflessly volunteered to help those in desperate need for two weeks, knowing the risks involved in contracting COVID, with no vaccine programme in place at this time.
In 2021, Sophie requested to complete her Level 2 Diploma. With support from her assessor & Team Leader, Sophie completed her diploma this year, with a distinction for her effort. We are incredibly proud of you Sophie, congratulations!
People may think working in care at Brandon is only providing personal care, or sitting having a cup of tea with someone. While these parts of the role sometimes exist, they aren't the only tasks in the course of a day.
There is lot of variety in what you will do at Brandon, from supporting someone to access their local community, to enabling someone to learn a new skill.
Supporting adults, young adults, and children at Brandon, means you have a real mix of individuals who are all unique. You'll get to build relationships with the people you support, compared to the experience you might have working in a traditional domiciliary care setting.
Watch Jordan's video where he explains how supporting someone isn't about doing it for them. It's more than that - it is problem solving to enable the person to have independence.
Many people at Brandon joined as support workers and have progressed to a wide range of other roles.
We have a dedicated Learning and Development team who are always on hand to offer help with bespoke training, further qualifications, personal wellbeing and more. Whatever your skills and ambitions, we will support you at every stage of your journey, to be the best you can be.
Read our recent blog from Jade, where she talks about her experience of learning on the job.
As a support worker, you will experience the privilege of being there for people through their highs and lows. It's a unique job that allows you to have a real impact on the lives of others, and to share in the joys and achievements that you have contributed to.
Read Brenda's account of how the care and support provided by the team at Brandon, helped her through the process of moving her son Jimmy to a new home.
Donna's experience of raising her son who has autism, made her want to work with people with a learning disability. When she began looking for jobs, Brandon stood out from the crowd and she joined as a first-time support worker in 2016. She is now a locality manager in the North Somerset area.
Donna tells us about her career journey and explains how the learning and development support at Brandon has been crucial to her quick progression.
We know that being able to work in a way that suits you, is key to a successful and satisfying career. That’s why we always try to be flexible and offer a variety of full-time, part-time, and casual positions.
Now studying medicine at university, Rhys joined Brandon's bank team when he was doing his A-Levels. He shares why the flexibility and fulfilling nature of the work made it the perfect job for him.
If you are new to support work when you join us, we will guide you through the Care Certificate, which is a nationally recognised qualification. Once you have completed this, along with all your training, you will have the option to do other diplomas and further your professional development.
Our staff live our values. You'll join supportive teams who will help you develop in your role to be the best you can be.
Watch the people we support and our staff teams in London, share what makes Brandon special to them.
