Najma
Meet Najma who joined Gray Healthcare in June 2021. Najma joined Gray Healthcare as a Support Worker supporting a lady with Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD), but she has since been promoted to a Community Support Manager role.
What did you do before you joined Gray Healthcare?
‘When I left school, I went to my local college to gain a Health and Social Care qualification. On completing this course, I then went to Birmingham City University and studied a BA (Hons) in Business Management. Whilst at university, I worked part-time as a Support Worker to help fund my studies. I was lucky to be able to experience working in a variety of settings including supported living and residential services for both adults and children with mental health conditions and learning disabilities. On completion of my degree, I registered with an agency for Support Worker roles and one of my first placements was with Gray Healthcare. I really liked the company and became a full-time member of the team in June 2021.’
What’s the best thing about working at Gray Healthcare?
‘All the staff are lovely and the manager I have is amazing. The team all get along and we support each other. Everyone is very welcoming and very kind. I love that we have freedom to explore new ideas with the people we support. One lady I support is Muslim and has spent over half her life living in and out of various hospitals and other institutions. During this period, for some reason, she did not practice her religion. Since I have been working with her, she has started to ask a lot of questions about her Islamic heritage and has shown an interest in learning about the Qur’an and Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, the Festival of Sweets and Eid al-Adha. In the last twelve months, we decorated the flat and bought new clothes to celebrate both Eids and made it really special for her. It has been amazing to see her reconnect with her roots.’
Do you feel you are well supported?
‘You are very well supported by both your team and your manager. The training I received when I started was exceptional and was tailored to the individual I was going to be supporting. There is a good support system in place in the form of the wider Multi-Disciplinary clinical team. They regularly visit us at work and are so supportive of the work we are doing. My manager is going to help me progress into a management role, which I’m very excited about.’
What advice would you give to someone considering working for Gray Healthcare?
‘Definitely apply ! If you’re open-minded, have good communication skills and are committed to seeing the person you support make positive changes to their life, then you will love this job.’
Describe Gray Healthcare in three words.
Supportive, progressive and welcoming