No such thing as typical day!!  If they are all well, we help the lads get up as they all require assistance with personal care and 5 of our nine lads here would require hoisting. We like to have fun at work and as the group can be described as heavy we some times keep people home to do some pleasant activities such as going into town on a train or having an early morning coffee or some time even a mid afternoon glass of wine. ( obviously not staff)

Time is the big issue, not enough of it !  Most of the lads are two to one for lifting and moving so they are all on their buses by 9.30 and with only 3 staff in the morning this can be difficult at times, but we manage.

It can be difficult to balance the clinical side and social side sometimes. At Christmas we had a person very sick for three weeks so covering hospital visits and meeting that persons needs in a strange environment as well as lookin after the other 9 clients was difficult to juggle.  On top of all that it being Chirstmas, that mad man in his red suit was comin too!! 

There are huge rewards! Very vunerable people who are generally well, fantastic staff team,holidays to Italy, France, aeroplane trips, This week alone we were at  Croke park and to see the band Pussy cat dolls!

Day to day tasks would be facilitating 9 clients with all their basic needs and ensuring  that they get to their day centres or workshops. When they return again its the basics which are essential like attending to washing, dressing feeding etc. Eight of our nine lads require their food blended so alot of creativity goes in to ensuring that the consistency and presentation is right.

As a manager now I have to ensure all policies and procedures are in place and staff are confident and competent in their daily duties. I spend alot of time linking in with other people including other professionals and peers. We are constantly reviewing our procedures and practices.

I am often involved in bigger picture stuff such as developing services and improving existing services within the organisation. Education and traning of staff, parents and indeed other professionals outside of the organisation is becoming a regular part of my job and indeed our role now.

I suppose managing a large group with such complex needs is a challenge. Getting the balance right between custodial care and meeting their social and individual needs can be difficult at times, this is why it is important to have regular clinical meetings with your team and to have regular inputs from other peers and professionals.

Being confident in our own abilities is vital. We really are experts in our field and we need to be aware of that when dealing with the wider public and organisation. We are advocates and sometimes we can be challenged on this.

Try getting doctors and nurses outside of our organisation to talk to and understand Intellectual Disability (not easy) .

Trying to get airlines to take wheelchairs (not easy)

Try getting five star restaraunts to liquidise food (not easy).  I could go on and on...

But all of these things CAN be done and IS being done and eventually it will get easier!!

Sounds cliched but making a difference is cool. We are meeting other professionals and dual learning is cool. Seeing people well because of your efforts and team efforts is cool. Seeing people on an aeroplane for the first time is cool. Seeing a severely disabled person in a BMW car is cool (even in any car!!) 

Not so cool is the fighting and battling you some times have to do but the rewards of that fighting and battling can be cool.

I am a fully qualified nurse and specifically trained in the area of intellectual disability. I have a broad base of clinical as well as social and other knowledge specific to Intellectual Disability. I have a Diploma in Management which is useful in this system led environment!! 

I love life and believe everyone should live it as best they can. Life is hard enough without having a disability so we as care providers need to be on top of our game to ensure that people with an Intellectual Disability have the life they deserve.

I have been described in tha past as a clown and an exhibishionist and its all true. I am both. You need to be professional and you need a sense of humour and of course you need to be able to balance the two. I think I do balance the two very well although some people might disagree (but dont mind them).

Not so cool is the fighting and battling you some times have to do to be a voice for our lads here. But the rewards of that fighting and battling can be cool.