Lindsey Saxby – Team Leader

I previously worked as a PA for children and adults with disabilities, as well as picking shifts up for a care agency. I continued with this whilst at University, studying to become a primary school teacher. When the agency took on the Sunderland area, rather than Newcastle and Durham, there were jobs available for Sunderland Council. I thought this would be a fantastic opportunity to get my foot in the door, doing something that I enjoyed.

I started working in Short Break Services as a full-time agency member of staff – I absolutely loved that every day was different. We had nearly a hundred customers that would come – learning all of their ways was intriguing, especially as you would only see some customers once a year. Being part of the team was amazing and I was fortunate enough to gain lots of knowledge from other staff members and experiences that I wouldn’t have got as a teacher.

I applied for a full-time position in 2014 as a support worker, within the same year temporary Team Leader jobs were available for short breaks. I had been helping the manager complete rotas and booking forms so went ahead with the interview. I was successful and by the end of 2014 I was a temporary Team Leader for SCAS. Gaining this position was absolutely fantastic!

I have been well trained by Sunderland Care and Support for my position and there is always opportunity for personal development. I have since moved into supported living – this holds many different challenges, but they are always overcome with the support of the fantastic staff teams and management.