“I was anxious before going to the Suffolk service, it’s like starting a new job except you already know what to do, so you just have to get stuck in. It was like walking into the unknown. For me, that was the hardest part, but after the first 24 hours I was fully settled in and had really bonded with the people in the service, and by the end of my eight days I didn’t want to leave!
“The service manager was always just a phone call away if we needed her, I felt really supported, and I bedded in with three other support workers from different services and by the end it felt like we were our own little family, we were in it together.
“I loved the whole experience and will definitely do it again! For anyone at FitzRoy who is thinking about it, I would say just do it. You gain so much knowledge and experience from being around new people, I feel like my confidence has grown massively. I can be thrown into the deep end and I can handle it.
“It promoted new skills that I didn’t know I had, such as being able to adapt to a new environment easily and quickly. I came out of the service knowing that everyone who is part of the FitzRoy team will go above and beyond for the people we support and their colleagues.
“I remember feeling a sense of worth and knowing that I was able to help another service in need. Seeing how dedicated staff members were from all around the country made me realise that I work for an amazing organisation.”
Kimberley, service manager of our Nottingham supported living services, said: “I am immensely proud to work alongside Chloe, she is one of the many staff that put their name forward in Nottingham to support those services in need. It makes us all feel very humble that we have staff that are willing to put themselves in challenging situations to make sure the people we support receive the care and support they should even in these difficult times.
“Chloe is a shining star and each and every one of us in Nottingham, both staff and management, is so proud of her ‘nothing is impossible’ attitude.”