A day in the life of a rehabilitation worker specialising in brain injuries

Sally Harris is a senior rehabilitation worker at in Northampton for the Christchurch Group which cares for people with brain injuries and complex neurological conditions. She was named 'Care Home Worker of the Year' in the 2015 East Midlands Regional Great British Care Awards.

What’s your working day like?

After clocking in, I have a handover from the night staff to see if there are any major details I need to know. Then my colleagues and I work out our plan of action, (who is getting who up etc.)

Some mornings I may work with a resident who just requires verbal prompts. Other mornings it can be a gentlemen who needs complete support; everything from shaving to showering to sitting them in a chair.

I may work 1-1 or with another member of staff. It all depends on the individual I am getting up (thank heavens for care plans and risk assessments and all the equipment!) Mr A may need to be prioritised as he has an appointment but in general it is as individuals awaken and are ready to get up.

Then I’m off to the laundry with dirty linen and throughout the day am filling washing machines or tumble driers…and also, if required, off to the big yellow bin to dispose of soiled pads.

Breakfast time, depending on dietary requirements or support needs, will determine if I feed someone or just sit with them and give prompts as required.

Everyone has an activity plan. I may be off to the surgery with Mr C for a medication review or a flu jab or playing with sensory equipment with Miss D.

I then may get the chance for a coffee. Other staff need breaks as well as myself so I may fill in with a 1-1 resident to enable a break. Then comes the paperwork: What Mr A and Mrs B have for breakfast what did they drink, what did they do, where were they?

Lunch and evening meal are chosen unless they are self-catering.

At lunch time, like breakfast, I may be feeding or sitting with or keeping an eye on a resident from a reasonable distance, eating my lunch at the same time. Then it’s back to some paperwork completing morning events.

Mr A and Mr C like to have a rest after their lunch, so I will help one or both of them get ready or sit with someone else, while someone else does that.

Afternoons are a lot quieter and slower paced, as a people are tired… quite common for those with brain injury, but this is when more laundry can be done. I take my break during quieter moments.

After tea, more paperwork and a chance to sit and spend more time with groups. The day tends to more 1-1 or 1-2 but evening finds a lot of residents and staff together for evening activities.

Mr A needs turning and changing so I’ll go down to his room with a colleague to help him.

Night staff arrive and walk around to check where everyone is and I do a handover of relevant events of the day.

End of shift but there could be an emergency. If someone has a seizure and requires interventions, I stay and do what is needed and go home later than originally planned.

My day is subject to no one phoning in sick, because otherwise it’s all of the above, plus a bit more. I have to be aware of what others are doing too. To be ready to support where necessary and make sure everything I do follows people's care plans and risk assessments.

The most challenging aspect is new staff coming on board

Having someone new in a well-oiled team can have the potential to create issues. Getting to know a new face, where they will sit within our team, how they will feel about how we work, how will we feel about how they work, what can they bring to the team and what we can offer them, and all of that before we look at the client dynamic in the mix.

To do this job you need:

An open mind

Have an open mind; accepting we all see the world in different ways and none of our points of view are wrong, just different.

Identify others’ qualities and work with them

No matter what qualities you have, someone else will always have another one or two good ones, to say the least.

A common link

Find a common link with everyone I work to support. This could be anything including taste in music. I have always managed to find a minimum of one common frame of reference with every person.

Patience and flexibility

It may take giving someone a spoon 50 times before they figure out that they can begin to feed themselves again. With someone with brain injuries, being willing to hear the same story for the 100th time and respond the way you did the first time. Flexibility is also essential, to be able to drop what you are doing and pick up something that takes priority.

Honesty and integrity

Sometimes being honest can mean reporting another member of staff and also continuing to work with them. But everyone knows exactly what you stand for and they know you expect honesty in return. Honesty about your strengths and weaknesses to yourself and others too.

What qualifications do I have?

I did my standard O levels and everything else I have learnt along the way, I have been on training for all aspects of my work from first aid to epilepsy training, so don't think you need a degree to do this work.

What makes me smile at work?

The simplest things. When Miss A remembers my name after six months of introducing myself to her each time she sees me.