Meet Hannah

Name Hannah de Carteret

Job title Senior Support Worker

How long have you been a support worker with Autism Jersey? For just over 6 years, I started early 2015.

What made you decide to become a Support Worker? After finishing my degree in Childhood Studies and doing a bit of travelling around world I came back to Jersey without a real plan of what I wanted to do next but knowing I wanted to work somewhere in the care sector. I supported a young autistic man over a summer and got a feel for how rewarding and interesting it can be! I saw a role going at Autism Jersey and have never really looked back!

What do you love most about your job? I love that every day can be different and each individual I support has so many different qualities. I find I learn new things about people all the time and hope that I am making a small, positive impacts on people's lives.

What are some of the challenges you face being a Support Worker? Shift work and weekend work can take some adjusting to it can be a challenge to ensure time with family and friends. Having structured rotas and a being a bit more organised has helped with this and helped me get a good work/life balance.

What makes your job worthwhile? The relationships built with those that I support is so important and makes the job so worthwhile. When I see someone I am supporting achieve something (no matter how big or small) or enjoying their lives it is a great feeling to know I have been a part of it.

What is your greatest or achievement or memory whilst working with Autism Jersey? One of my favourite memories is with a child I was supporting who was scared of swimming. Working with his family, we got him to a swimming pool and although it was a slow process, the look on his face when he was eventually swimming along with a float and a huge grin on his face was amazing. We now go most weeks and he loves it!

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? I enjoy running (although I am definitely not a natural runner or very fast) and spending time with family and friends. I also love to travel and see new places. I have recently got married and looking forward to some more travelling and adventures on a honeymoon when we are allowed to travel.