Career opportunities in care work: local charity is recruiting across Lancashire and beyond

After being unsure what he wanted to do with his career, 22-year-old Andrew Finch applied for a job as a support Worker and says it’s the best decision he has made.

“I had been working in a factory for five years and I wanted something with more variety. My mum said that I’m a very caring person so I should think about going into social care.

“I got an interview for Alternative Futures Group and as soon as I met the recruitment team I felt comfortable. I’ve never done care work before but I am very sociable, so I talked about how my personality and skills match the job and was offered a full-time support worker role.”

Andrew joined health and social care charity Alternative Futures Group in December to support Stephen, Tony and Craig, who each have a learning disability, in a shared house.

Welcoming team

“I am only three weeks in but I absolutely love it. The team here are so welcoming, friendly and chatty and are always offering to make me a brew.

“I am getting to know the lads we support, their likes and dislikes and what their goals are. My first trip was taking Stephen out to the arcades in Liverpool which he absolutely loves.

“I’m being introduced to my responsibilities one by one, like keeping track of how much money the lads are spending and filling in their daily diaries with how they’ve been that day and what they’ve been up to.”

Andrew says the thing he loves most about the role is the variety and job satisfaction he gets from helping others.

Making a difference

“In my old job I knew what I would be doing day in day out, but now I’m learning and doing something different every day.

“I feel like I’m really going to make a difference for the people I’m supporting. You’re not doing things for people – you’re supporting them to do it themselves. Seeing them accomplish things and be happy is just so rewarding. There’s no job like it.”

Alternative Futures Group is an award-winning health and social care charity providing specialist support for more than 900 people with a learning disability or mental health condition, as well as other additional needs or conditions such as autism, acquired brain injury or a physical disability.

Recruiting now

The charity is currently recruiting for a range of support worker roles across Lancashire and beyond, with flexible opportunities available immediately, including part-time, full-time, permanent or casual working.

Find roles that fit around your lifestyle by requesting a call back on this quick form or by browsing their current vacancies.