Before joining AFG nine years ago, Carol worked as an ICT and Science teacher for 27 years. After deciding she was ready for a change, she began working as a Café Manager, which is where she met some of the people supported at AFG’s independent mental health hospital in Cheshire. She got on so well with them that she was invited to apply for a Support Worker vacancy at the hospital, which is where her career journey with AFG began.
She said: “My first roles at AFG were as a Support Worker and receptionist at the hospital, which I loved because of how many people I got to interact with every day. I then saw a role come up in the HR team to coordinate casual support workers which I thought would match my skills and give me the opportunity to develop.
“I was proud to support with the introduction of a new system to manage shift patterns for our Support Workers across the organisation, and was seconded to the Support Desk where I helped managers understand and implement the new system.”
When a job came up in AFG’s IT team shortly after, Carol jumped at the opportunity.
“It felt like a natural progression given my background teaching ICT. Alongside the different roles I’ve worked in, I’ve always continued to do casual Support Worker shifts, as for me it really instils our mission to improve the lives of the people we support. In my current role as an ICT Technician, I love going out and visiting properties across the North West and helping to resolve any technological issues our colleagues face. My job is to make people’s lives easier and provide them with the digital tools they need to make a positive difference. I believe my background in teaching and support work gives me the skills and patience to talk through problems in language that people can understand. Everyone has different capabilities with technology… there is never a stupid question. I help to take the fear away, and that’s really rewarding.”
Carol is particularly proud of being part of our ‘AFG Tech Lending Library’ project, giving the people we support the chance to ‘try before they buy’ with products such as smartwatches, mobile phones, robotic pets and voice assistive tech.
“This gives the people we support the chance to try new tech products, regardless of their financial situation. There are so many examples where this has helped to improve their health and wellbeing… it’s an amazing initiative to be part of.”
Carol recently encouraged her son Henry to apply for a Support Desk Analyst role, using our ‘Refer a Friend’ scheme.
“It’s great to work alongside my son every day. There is so much opportunity and support within AFG with the ability to progress between a range of roles. If you have the right skills and attitude, AFG will help you find your niche!”
Are you looking for a new career? Could you help to make a positive difference like Carol? Explore our current vacancies here.