Amy Stephenson
“You are empowering other people’s lives and that makes it all worthwhile.”
Amy Stephenson is a 42-year-old Assistant Locality Manager (ALM) with Discovery in Yeovil and has worked with the organisation since May 2020. She works in a residential home and at two supported living houses , supporting six individuals. Being promoted to ALM in such a short period of time is a testament to the way Amy has excelled in every facet of her job.
Amy joined Discovery after a 20-year career in the retail sector following a redundancy at the start of the pandemic. When searching for roles, social care, specifically with Discovery, stood out for her:
“I was looking for a new job and there were lots of adverts from different care providers but Discovery’s wasn’t full of jargon and it was more inviting. The application process was simple too. I applied online and it all happened very quickly and I had an interview straight away and got the job.”
“I think the training has been good in comparison with other people I know that work elsewhere in the care sector. During my induction, I think I learnt more in that one week than I’ve ever learnt before! I then shadowed for three weeks until I was confident to work more independently” she reflects.
Discovery is a values-based recruiter and it appoints candidates who share the values of the organisation: Partnership, Courage, Integrity, Ambition and Respect. This means that candidates don’t need to have experience in social care, just patience and a desire to support an individual to live their best life.
Amy loves working with people with learning disabilities and autism because she can support them to take small steps towards greater independence such as feeding themselves or making a cup of tea. She enjoys going out and about and enabling individuals to pursue their own interests. Amy prefers a more active style of support. She says:
“You fundamentally have to enjoy what you do, that’s what it’s all about.”
Amy has key worker responsibility for the people she supports so she can monitor their progress carefully and get to know their family too.
“If I’m feeling down I remember the time when one person who finds it difficult to communicate started reeling off a list of words and it took me by surprise. Someone else wrote the first letter of his name, it’s inspiring!”
Amy believes that while the job has encouraged her to develop her professional skills and grow as a person, it has also enabled her to take on new challenges. Amy took responsibility for tracking the seizures of an individual to identify monthly trends and develop better support practices for them. She is also undertaking a four-year diploma in Health and Social Care. In her free time, she volunteers as a responder with the NHS helpline.
She advises anyone who is considering a change of career to give care a go:
“You need to have an open mind. I wasn’t sure if it would be for me, but it has come very naturally. It’s tiring but rewarding at the same time. It makes you feel really good about yourself.”
If you want more information or an informal chat with the team to see if a career in care could be for you, give us a call on 0300 303 9150 or email applynow@discovery-uk.org