George Sparrow is a 26-year-old Service Manager for Carr Gomm in Edinburgh.
He got into care after moving back from Australia with his girlfriend and hasn’t looked back since, enjoying rapid career progression and immense job satisfaction.
“I worked in the cycling industry previously and lived in Australia for a bit. While I was out there, I met my girlfriend and we decided to move to Edinburgh where she’s from. My mum is a Service Manager for a charity so I’ve always had that link and interest to try it so I decided I wanted to give it a go.
“Since then, I’ve not looked back. I’ve absolutely loved the job and found that there’s great scope to grow both professionally and personally. I feel really valued by my employers and can make a difference on a daily basis. I left school with no qualifications at all but have been put through lots of training and I’m currently doing my SVQ4.
“As with any job, it does have its challenging days but there’s always great support from the team and senior staff members. The fact you’re helping people also makes it worthwhile. One thing I’ve been really proud of is my work with a 72-year-old gentleman who didn’t really trust anyone and had actually had a really tough life. It was a challenge to get close to him but over time I managed to gain his trust and see such a positive change in him and ultimately help him move into a new, purpose built flat.
“I think some people do have misconception of adult social care. You do have to be resilient and willing to graft but sometimes just being there for someone and giving them that company can be enough.”
George’s advice to people looking to apply for an adult social care position:
“I’d urge anyone considering a job in adult social care to properly research what the role entails before applying. You do need to have an empathetic and patient nature to enjoy the job but if you do have these characteristics, it’ll be the best thing you do.”
