Alan Brown

Healthcare Worker

"I used to be an IT technician before I started at Partnerships in Care, so it was a massive change for me when I joined. But I’ve never once regretted my decision.

During my time here, I’ve worked on our male, female and rehab wards. What gives me the most satisfaction? Seeing a patient do well and return to the community. And that’s what we’re about. But it’s the small victories that matter, too. I get a lot out of seeing patients have good days, and supporting them when things aren’t going so well.

The training here’s pretty immense, especially for me, personally, over the last six months or so. I’m currently at NVQ 3 Level, and I’m looking to go on from there. But as well as all the “proper” training, if you like, you learn a lot on the job.

The thing about working here is that you get to experience a lot of different things. Take me, for example: I’ve worked on all of our different wards, and I think that kind of varied experience means you get to explore different ways of engaging with challenging behaviours. Different people have different needs, and you need to remember that. Of course, it helps if you feel comfortable in your working environment, so it’s worth your while talking to your local hospital and finding out what area they specialise in.

What do you need to succeed as a Health Care Worker? Well, you need to be mentally strong, you need to respect your patients, you need to stay composed, be responsible, keep your calm… Perhaps above all, though, you can’t take yourself too seriously. Sure, you might get a bit of stick from the patients, but it’s all part of supporting them to get better."