A calling for care - Meet Shaun and Barry

We were lucky enough to catch up with Barry and his Care Assistant Shaun.

Shaun originally started his journey in care as a career stopgap while Covid brought the country to a standstill, 4 years later he is more dedicated than ever and can’t imagine being anywhere else.

Shaun's Story

From a young age, Shaun was exposed to the world of care. He was brought up by his Grandparents, his Grandad wheelchair bound and his Nan working to maintain the home and a steady income. While his Nan would be working, Shaun would be helping his Grandad, working as a young caregiver and taking care of his needs.

During secondary school, Shaun’s Grandparents had Care Assistants come in to help around the house and his Grandads day-to-day needs. Having grown up around care and been a caregiver himself, he always knew it was something he could fall back on later on in life.

Shaun recalled an interesting story from when he chose his GCSE’s.

“I had been kicked out of Geography and History so had to pick another option. I saw health and social care and thought “I like health and I like being social, perfect!”. Stepping into the classroom, my teacher, a lovely lady, was surprised a boy had chosen this subject and explained that health and social care is about taking care of people. My reaction was “Well I’m here now”!

At the end of the course, my teacher asked me to stay behind and said “I think you should stay and do health and social care as a career. Please promise me you’ll consider it because you would be great at it.” She knew about my past and maybe she saw something in me that I didn’t even recognise yet.”

When the pandemic hit, Shaun had been offered a new job but they were suddenly unable to confirm a start date due to closures. With children to provide for, Shaun decided to train as a Care Assistant with Bluebird Care so he could continue to work throughout the pandemic. 5 years into his career, Shaun is the happiest he’s been in employment. The people he gets to meet and helping to make a difference to someone's life, give him the job satisfaction he had never had before.

Shaun and Barry

As part of Bluebird Care training, new Care Assistants are required to complete a shadow shift with a more experienced colleague. This ensures that new Care Assistants feel supported and not thrown into the deep end. Shaun’s first customer and shadow shift was with Barry.

Barry has been a customer of Bluebird Care for the last 14 years, we have supported him with cerebral palsy, a condition that affects movement and coordination. Barry’s sister Jill expressed that having a loved one living with a condition such as cerebral palsy makes you worry constantly. While Barry is very independent, the condition progresses as you get older and requires more time and support to manage.

“I read all the care notes and check who will be coming for a visit. When Shaun is off for the weekend I worry about Barry, Shaun has given me some peace of mind. I call him my Angel from Manchester.” - Jill

Barry is able to live independently within his own home, thanks to the support of Care Assistants like Shaun. Many people don’t realise how deep care can go, Shaun regularly takes Barry to the gym, creating fitness plans specifically designed around what Barry is able to do. Keeping fit goes a huge way to improving mental and physical health. Shaun also supports with things like washing, laundry, shopping, outings, and personal care.

“I think of Barry like my Grandad. We have built a really special bond and I want to make sure he’s ok.” - Shaun

Building a personal bond

Unlike other careers, becoming a Care Assistant is a very personal and verified experience. In Barry and Shaun’s case, the trust and bond didn’t happen immediately. Barry is a very shy individual with sometimes complex needs, it can take a while for him to fully open up and enjoy the company of his Care Assistants and trust them to do things the way he likes.

“It takes time to create that bond and trust with someone. For many people, having a stranger come into your home can be scary, so slowly building that relationship with the individual and family is extremely important for building trust.” - Shaun

Although Shaun may not look like your typical Care Assistant, he takes great pride in doing his best for those he cares for. Always exercising compassion, patience, and empathy for those he works with. We look forward to following Shaun’s career in the future!

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