Sharon Prowse

Best bit about your job?

The diversity and equality of our service is the most rewarding and demanding thing I have ever done. Every day is different. It could be attending a meeting with a client or going to a local authority forum. It could be helping someone to cook something new, helping someone with their debt issues or helping someone to understand their Tenancy Agreement. Our client base is varied and I get to use my British Sign Language qualification on a daily basis. It is most rewarding when a client within the service becomes independent enough to say they no longer require our support because they can do it themselves, and it is something that we all strive to achieve. The feedback we receive is something we value and is something we find vital to the running of our service.

Worst bit?

Having to explain to clients that the government has increased their personal contributions or having to explain to them that their DLA (Disability Living Allowance) may be going after they have seen something on television. I will endeavour to bring this to the attention of focums and meetings I attend so the profile continues to be raised on how much these things affect the lives of people receiving our service.

Where will you be in five years?

I hope to see other services developing from the ones in Bath and North Somerset. I would like to see services being provided for social care and domiciliary care within these areas, and I will continue to spread the word of Freeways and what we can offer. I would like to see the floating support services expand within these areas and within Bristol and South Gloucestershire too. I will continue to work alongside our senior management team to enable this to happen.

Advice for anyone wanting to do your job?

My advice is be prepared to work very hard! Also be prepared to think on your feet, to be flexible, to be a great problem solver, to be a directory for signposting, to have the patience of a saint, to listen when people talk, to respect people's wishes no matter what, and most of all be prepared to get the best job satisfaction and feel good factor your will probably ever feel!

How did you get the job?

I used to work in a small catering firm and wished to make a change, develop and have a career that I would find rewarding and where I could make a difference. I applied for a position in Freeways as a part time support worker in a residential home in Keynsham. I got the position and duly progressed to Team Leader, Acting Assistant Manager and then to Manager of a different residential home within Freeways. I then crossed over to the Floating Support Service in Bath and North East Somerset when it started in May 2011. Freeways has always been supportive of my desire to learn and develop: I have completed NVQ Level 4 in Leadership and Management, I am a Person Centred Plan facilitator, I have developed a training programme in Autism and deliver it within Freeways, and I train within the CIS (Common Induction Standards) programme.

Any perks? (training, flexibility)

As the manager of the service in Bath, my hours can be used flexibly to suit my needs and the needs of the service. the training Freeways offers cannot be beaten and I have been encouraged to go on not just the mandatory training but other courses that are of interest to me and our service.

What did you want to be when you were young?

As a child I lived on a farm and always wanted to be a vet. Later on as a teenager I decided I wanted to be a nurse, but life throws different routes to you. My parents told me that, as a child, I always looked after the other children, took care of the younger ones and helped anyone that needed looking after. After leaving school and doing various jobs, I decided I wanted to do something that would benefit other people and to use the knowledge and life experience that I had to make a positive impact on other people's lives.