What skills and qualities will I need?

There isn’t really a typical support worker at Avenues – we need people with all sorts of backgrounds and interests. It’s a role where your outlook and life experiences matter as much as any previous work in social care.

People join us as support workers at different stages in their lives – some straight from college while others take a mid career change of direction. Many join us without previous experience.

To be a great support worker you don’t need specific qualifications and you’ll get comprehensive training if you join us. But we do look for particular characteristics that we know really matter in support work …

• Resourcefulness:  you’re good at finding solutions

• Tenacity: you’re determined and see things through

• Flexibility: you don’t mind when plans change

• Empathy: you see other people’s point of view

• Compassion: you want to help people who are suffering

• Patience: you’re happy working at someone else’s pace

• Curiosity: you think about different ways of doing things