When you begin your career at our charity, you automatically enrol on St Christopher’s Academy. You’ll start on the Entry Pathway, which includes our comprehensive introductory training programme and support to figure out the direction you want to take in your career.

Evelyn joined St Christopher’s last year and explains what it’s like for new employees.

Why did you want to work at St Christopher’s?

I wanted to work at St Christopher’s because I like what the company represents in terms of helping every young person reach their full potential and have a brighter future.

What experience did you have before joining the organisation?

Before this, I was working in the retail industry as a supervisor. It reached a stage where I didn’t see anywhere to progress and I felt like I was going to work for the sake of going to work. There was no fulfilment for me and I needed a change, so I did a course in support work and began doing agency work in supported housing. After this, I joined St Christopher’s care bank before becoming a permanent member of staff at the end of 2021.

I didn’t have any professional experience working with young people, but I am a parent and sit on the PTA at my son’s school, helping with activities and the summer fayre.

What support have you received as a new employee?

Within my team, there is a range of colleagues who have long-term experience. If there is anything I’m not sure about, they support me and give me advice. The one thing that they always say is that if I’m not sure I shouldn’t be afraid or shy to ask, it’s very encouraging.

I’m also doing the SPIRIT introductory training, which is very helpful for my journey. I can ask the trainers anything and some have been in the company for a long time, starting as support workers like I am now. It’s a good way to get information and knowledge. And I do the training with other colleagues who are new, so we can bounce off each other.

You are a night worker. What is different about night shifts compared to day shifts?

You get to see a different side of young people at night as they come into the office for long conversations, support and open up to you. However, I like to pick up day shifts when I can too because it helps you get to know young people and your colleagues better.

What professional development opportunities have you had at St Christopher’s?

There are different passports you can do through the Academy – like pathways to help you become a team leader, a mentor or a trainer. I want to do my Level 3 Diploma and work towards becoming a team leader because it will help me understand how to make decisions about young people. When you are a team leader, you play important role communicating between the team and management, but you still get to be involved with young people on a day-to-day basis.

Where do you see yourself going next with your career?

I’m still new so I want to settle in, get comfortable and see where I go from there. My long-term goal is to achieve a qualification to become a social worker.

What would you say to someone considering working at St Christopher’s?

For me, if you’ve got people skills, you should give the role a go. It’s not about having experience in the sector – like some of the skills that I built in retail is still transferable to this field. Every day on shift is never the same, which I really like about my job. You also have to be streetwise, learn some of the language young people use and know what’s going on in their world – and if you don’t know it before, you will learn it very quickly! You never know what the shift will bring and it’s rewarding.

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