From uni and pub work to health and safety: David's career pathway

When I finished university, I was working a zero hours contract in a pub and the area I was living in had no job opportunities. I moved back home, and after a number of failed interviews I decided to do an 8-week course on getting into care work. Care work wasn’t something I would have considered, but I’d heard the industry was crying out for male carers.

I took on my first job in a private nursing home and really took to the caring and the person-centred aspect of the job.  I then moved to work in Grundy Hub, a day centre closer to home and I absolutely loved the culture and my work colleagues. Five years later I applied for a promotion to become a day care officer and found my niche in solving problems for people and carrying out person-centred risk assessments. I developed my skills in this role, becoming a manual handling trainer, a unison shop steward, and eventually also talking on a staff director role. 

I then saw a role for a trainee health and safety/building compliance officer role which was an area that I was interested in and I already had a bit of H&S knowledge. It seemed like something I could sink my teeth into so I applied and got the job, and gained by NEBOSH Gen Cert qualification, followed by a level 3 qualification in Fire Risk Assessment.

I really love what I’m doing now; even though I’m no longer working with people we support in a front-line capacity I am still supporting them to live their best lives by making sure all of our staff have a safe work environment and by solving problems for services as they arise. I love working in social care, and I’ve found that I was able to thrive and build a career. 

I have a learning disability which has always caused issues for me in life, but it has not held me back from progressing in my career. From my days as a carer to the present I have always found my peers and managers to be very encouraging and supportive. 

To read more about David's career, click here.