A day in the life
Residential Support Worker
We asked Michelle, one of our Residential Support Workers, about her experiences of being an RSW and what this involves on a daily basis.
One of the great things about this job is that no two days are the same. Sometimes we are climbing a mountain with our child or going to the beach, and other times we are curled up watching movies or doing crafts. But whatever we are up to, it is our job to give our child the loving care, structure and consistency that they need.
I am currently looking after a 13 year old girl called Ellie, who we love to bits. For two days out of every six I live with Ellie, and I love being there as it feels like a home from home. A typical morning starts for me around 7am, when I get ready and plan the day ahead over a cup of tea with Ellie’s other carer, Alex. I then help Ellie to get up and get ready for the day. She is not a big fan of mornings, so it’s my job to make this time positive and fun. We make breakfast together and discuss the plans for the day. Ellie is a bit worried this morning about her family, so we reassure her and make sure she knows we are there to support her.
Once breakfast is over, I write a summary of the previous day on the computer. Another of Ellie’s carers, David, arrives to take over from Alex, so we spend some time talking through what has been happening for Ellie in the last few days. We discuss her health and wellbeing, activities, successes and any concerns. The Registered Manager then comes to the home and greets everyone. Today is the day for my one-to-one session with the manager, where we reflect on both Ellie’s progress and my practice, and she offers support and guidance. Then it is time for Ellie’s education session at home with her tutor. She is working on Maths and English today, which she finds quite difficult, so I join in where I can. I encourage her and remind her how much progress she is making.
Once this is finished we get ready for the afternoon’s outdoor activity – kayaking on the lake! We pack our kit and our picnic and head to our outdoor activity hub to meet our instructor for the day. Today I am also joining in with the kayaking because I really enjoy it. It’s such a fantastic opportunity to have fun and bond with our children, who love to see us getting stuck in with them. Ellie has never been kayaking before, so she is nervous at first. But our outdoor instructors are so patient and they are fantastic at encouraging our children. So it’s not long until Ellie is paddling away on the lake and absolutely loving it. At the end of the activity she has had such a good time that she asks to do it again next week.
On the way home we pick up a prescription for Ellie and go shopping for the week’s food, which we had already planned with Ellie. This is a great opportunity to help her learn about budgets, healthy food choices and social interactions. Once back at home, we help Ellie to prepare fajitas for dinner. We have a good laugh over dinner and talk about the day and how she is feeling. After the washing up is done, it’s time for our pamper night. Ellie loves to do our nails and hair, and we have fun doing face masks and chatting about the day.
When it’s time to wind down we run a bath for Ellie, help her tidy her room and get out her pajamas. After her bath we watch an episode of her favourite TV show together with a hot chocolate, and spend some time chatting before bedtime. When Ellie is settled in bed, David and I complete any remaining paperwork, do some housework, and make sure we have everything ready for the next day. Finally we sit down to reflect on the day and how Ellie is getting on. We are both so happy to see how much she enjoyed her day and how much progress she has made in the time she has been with us. We know that this is down to our care and the efforts of her whole team, which is such a rewarding feeling. I wouldn’t change this job for the world.