We asked Paula, a Senior Practitioner on the Children with Disabilities Team about how her career led her to working in the Stockport Family Team & what she loves about her job!
How long have you been at Stockport? How long have you worked in your role?
I joined Stockport in 2011 and have been a Senior Practitioner here for 3 years.
Why did you become a Social Worker and where did you work before joining the Stockport Family team?
I’ve always worked in and around Social Care – it’s the best thing ever. I started off working at Lifeline within drugs & alcohol and then the Youth Offending team. I found myself getting involved in different things above and beyond the role because I wanted to support the families as much as I could.
I applied for a social work job and now I'm working as a senior practitioner in the Children with Disabilities Team!
What do you love about your job?
Everything! The team are amazing, the role is really interesting and diverse, the authority is good to work for and you know you’ve got support. You get to use different skills and knowledge and you’re learning something new every day. It’s also a really varied team and you get to learn about different resources and agencies and build relationships with great young people. I can’t imagine working anywhere but for the local authority.
In the Children with Disabilities team we work with the most vulnerable people in Stockport. It’s a really varied role and we work with such a wide remit of people – including hospitals, hospices, mental capacity and advanced care planning. There is a wide range of skills and experience you learn and are supported with in the role. Communication is also a huge part of the role, especially helping the young person get their voice – you have to think differently and be creative!
What do you think makes Children's Social Work at Stockport Council so special?
All of the above – the support you get, the team you’re around; everyone wants to help each other. The managers of the team are supportive and approachable, and I can’t speak highly enough of them. No hesitation to talk to anybody if you have an issue or ask any questions – we work with lots of ASYEs and have the attitude that we’re all going to learn together.
The family ethos is at the heart of Stockport – it’s very much about relationships and relationship building and this comes through from top to bottom; I’ve seen it in practice on a personal level too.