Prader Willi Syndrome

CLAIRE – Hi, I started working for New Directions at Bishops Way in October 2008 as a Support Worker. Before that I supported adults with Autism for 4 years. Due to my experience and abilities, I was able to ‘act up’ as a Senior at Bishops Way when the permanent seniors were away.  I decided I quite liked the role and, when the opportunity came up to gain promotion as a full time Senior Support Worker, I successfully applied and here I am.  I think everyone is happy that I took the post, as it means that there will be some continuity and it keeps with the New Directions tradition of promoting from within.

BECKI -  Hello, I joined New Directions in September 2008. Before that I worked in care for about 12 years as a senior in two large residential homes supporting people with a variety of needs.  Apart from Prader-Willi Syndrome, I have probably experienced pretty much every other condition associated with people who have learning disabilities including challenging behaviours.  I like to think that I can adapt my approach to suit the needs of the Service User – this can range from being somewhat strict to my now famous munchkin impersonation! My philosophy is – ‘If it works, it works’.

TRACY – I started my career in care with New Directions in August 2007 at Bishops Corner, which was my first job in adult care, as a Support Worker. I really enjoyed my 2 years there and learned a lot about Prader-Willi syndrome. In October 2009 I had the opportunity to become a senior support worker at Bishops Way and I saw this as a way to further my career and still be able to see all the people I supported at Corner. So although this is a new chapter in my career, the old one is not closed, which would have been the case if I had needed to leave New Directions to gain promotion.