Gem Croft has worked in adult social care for six years.
Her career progression has been rapid after discovering her love of helping others and she is encouraging others to consider a career in adult social care.
“My university degree is actually in acting for stage and screen as my dream was to become an actor. However, when I went to Costa Rica to do humanitarian work, I found a passion for helping others and took up a full-time care position after I graduated.
“There’s certainly no such thing as a typical day in social care, you have to be prepared for the unexpected but this is what makes it such a special and interesting job. I love seeing staff develop and I especially love working with people who are so motivated to help others. You see both them and the people they care for flourish.
“One moment that stands out was when we were caring for a woman who was very angry and upset with people. We helped bring structure into her life and the changes we made helped her improve gradually. These were small changes but they made a big difference and she slowly built her trust with us. She’s now much more confident, independent, and able to communicate any problems effectively.
”The role can be very challenging at times and you need to be good at multitasking. Organisation is key because there are days where everything happens at once and you need to effectively prioritise what needs to be managed first, but this becomes easier with experience.”
Gem’s advice to people looking to apply for an adult social care position:
“There aren’t many jobs that will be as rewarding as working in adult social care. You see the influence you have and there aren’t many jobs where you see a lifelong impact.”
”I would tell people they have to be organised but also have a sense of fun and enjoy the time spent supporting people or you’ll miss the valuable moments. There are some great celebrations and you need to appreciate them when they come. Be prepared for hard work but the chance to make a big difference, meeting some of the best people you could imagine.”
