We met with Oliver, one of our Residential Team Leaders who works to support and guide our young people who experience social, emotional and behavioural difficulties to success.
“I started my journey at Glenfield home in October 2021. I had never worked in any similar roles before, so initially my knowledge and views were completely different from what they are now.
Over the past 18 months I have learnt so much about myself, and I have also learnt a lot about the young people, how their brains develop and the effect early trauma has on brain development. Before I began working at Glenfield I always had the view that naughty children were just naughty children and I never thought deeper about it. The home and the ethos that we all follow has helped me change my views of young people and trauma.
I am now able to look past behaviours and see a deeper meaning behind them and I have been able to form strong relationships with the young people and empathise with them, becoming more attuned to their emotions.
Alongside this I have also completed a Diploma Level 4 as a Children, Young People & Families Practitioner and achieved a distinction. This course along with various training days and seminars have helped me to learn so much about young people and the way the brain functions through all stages of development. I have been able to finetune my Solution Focus skills and apply these to my role. I have also begun to think critically of myself, use trauma sensitive language within my work and pinpoint when I think I need to change something.
I never in a million years thought that I would be able to progress in such a short time but through the constant support, training and supervision I have been able to achieve so much, and was able to be promoted to Team Leader. None of this would have been possible if I didn’t have the most amazing staff team. The management are like nowhere I have worked before and the provide so much support to everyone. The Registered Manager, Danielle, has always believed in me and has done everything in her power to help me get to where I am today. She is always looking for the next thing we can do to improve in any aspect of work and to have a manager that cares so much about the staff team and children alike is refreshing. She is an absolute credit to the home, and I wouldn’t be in the position I am today if it weren’t for her.
I can’t wait to see what we achieve over the next year!”