Being a support worker is a fulfilling and rewarding career that requires a unique set of skills and qualities. Support workers play an essential role in helping individuals with complex needs, autism or mental health issues to live independently. However, many people may not fully understand what the job entails or what a typical day in the life of a support worker looks like.
In this blog post, we will take a closer look at the daily routine of a support worker. Though no two days are ever the same, we hope this post will give some insight into what can be expected from this highly rewarding varied job role.
My Day as a Support Worker
07:50 – Arrive on shift, and receive a handover from night staff, if L is awake greet him first.
08:00- Chat with L about what he wants to do during the day. L will then get his breakfast ready and staff can go and prepare L’s medication. L will then have his bath, brush his teeth and have a shave.
10:00 – We will have a walk to the local shops for any small items. On the return home, we will do a bit of housework (hoovering, mopping, washing up or clothes washing).
12:00 – L will prepare his lunch with staff assistance (staff doing the peeling and grating) then he will take his food and sit in the lounge to eat it.
12:45 – L will wash up his lunch utensils with staff assistance with the sharps.
13:00 – L will go upstairs for a music session which gives staff time to check emails and read policies or risk assessments.
13:30 – L will return downstairs and want to go shopping for food or items pre-discussed with the Area Manager or the Team Leader.
15:00- We return home, put the shopping away, have a cuppa and then we will go out for a walk. Usually around a local lake or an urban bimble around the local area.
16:30 – We arrive home and L will have a seat on the sofa with a cuppa and chat about various subjects.
17:00 – We then go into the kitchen and sort out what L is going to eat for his evening meal. Staff doing preparation while L does the cooking.
18:30 – L will sit down in the lounge and eat his food.
19:00 – L will do his washing up with staff washing any sharps then he will go upstairs for a music session which gives staff time to fill in the daily diary.
19:45 – L returns downstairs and sits on the sofa waiting for the arrival of the night staff to arrive.
19:50 Night staff arrive and greet L and he will tell them all about his day, day staff will then tell the night staff how L has been interacting throughout the day. Day staff will then fill in the handover form on CareRealm (our cloud-based recording system), say good night to L and go home with L telling them to drive carefully.
The night shift then begins. L might decide he wants to venture to his local bingo hall or social club. Or he may just want a chill evening in front of the TV. No night is the same. I have a good night’s sleep in anticipation of my day shift the next day, before a couple of days of well-deserved time off!
