The social care superpower campaign is being run by the Cygnet Social Care division and aims to highlight the ordinary people with extraordinary skills who bring unique qualities to their social care services and make a valuable, positive difference to the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in society.
Recognising the challenges faced by the social care industry in terms of recruitment, it is hoped the campaign may work to encourage more people to consider a career in social care to give residents the care they deserve.
As part of the campaign, six members of staff from Cygnet Social Care shared inspirational stories about their careers in social care, why they love the job they do and, what they consider their social care superpower to be.
Over the course of the next few weeks, Cygnet will be sharing these stories across their social media channels and encouraging anybody working in social care to get involved, sharing their chosen superpower and posting using the hashtag #socialcaresuperpower.
Ollie White has worked in social care for more than 10 years, starting his career as a support worker and successfully climbing the career ladder to become the Registered Manager of The Orchards, a Cygnet Social Care service in Essex which supports men with a learning disability or complex needs.
He said the most rewarding part of his job was helping people succeed. Describing the qualities needed for a successful career in social care, he said people needed to be “bubbly, fun and able to have a laugh.”
He added: “My social care superpower is being as least restrictive as possible.
“I give residents choices to make decisions for their wellbeing and their health, and don’t put so many boundaries in the way. It is about making sure we’re taking positive risks for our residents.
“I would encourage anyone to consider a career in social care. You get to help people, support them and be part of a team which changes lives.”
Hailey McLaughlin is a Senior Support Worker at Ranaich House, Cygnet’s residential service in Dunblane which supports adults with learning disabilities and complex needs. She leads on the care and support we provide to residents and said she has never looked back after first working at Ranaich House in 2018 as an agency staff member.
Talking about the best thing about her job, she described how helping people meet their goals and build their confidence to live more independently gives her a great sense of job satisfaction.
“You can’t get a more rewarding job than a career in social care,” she explained. “It is the best job you will ever have and you get to make a difference every day. Seeing residents’ faces light up is an absolute joy.”
On the attributes needed to thrive in social care, she said you needed to be “caring, patient, kind and have a strong appetite to keep learning”.
“My social care superpower is compassion. Without compassion, you don’t have anything. Feedback from my colleagues is that I’m caring, kind, non-judgemental and passionate.”
Cygnet’s expert and highly dedicated social care team of 2945 employees empower 694 individuals across 67 residential, supported living and day services to consistently make a positive difference to their lives.
Cygnet Social Care is part of the Cygnet Group which also provides healthcare services for young people and adults in England, Scotland and Wales.
Gareth Williams is the CEO of Cygnet Social Care. He said: “I am so proud this campaign will highlight the incredible people who work across our social care services and who strive every day to make a positive difference to those in need of support.
“The campaign is true to its words; those who work in social care are all super heroes armed with incredible superpowers. Working in social care is both challenging and hugely rewarding. The work we do is pivotal, looking after the most vulnerable people in our society. Which is why it takes a special person, with special skills, traits and attributes to do it.
“This campaigns aims to highlight those unique qualities each of us bring to a career in social work. By running this campaign externally, we hope to highlight the amazing work staff across our services do and celebrate the way they empower our residents. By shining a light on the emotional rewards of the role, we may even inspire more people to consider a job in social care.”
Cygnet are asking social care workers to share your support for #SocialCareSuperPower by posting your superpower online, using the hashtag and tagging in @CygnetGroup.