Meet Annmarie Grimshaw, a support worker in Supported Living and one of our dedicated first aid trainers. Ann began her journey in the social care sector in 1984 at just eighteen years old.
“I started working as a nursing assistant in supported living, though it was called something different then. After two years of part time work, I secured a full-time position in 1986. By 1988, I was working as a care assistant at Willow Bank, supporting people with physical disabilities. In 1992, I transitioned to become a homemaker, supporting people in supported living within the community.
Throughout my career, I’ve seen many changes and experienced various job title changes from a home carer to a support worker. Despite the challenges, I’ve been grateful to support extraordinary people and work with amazing colleagues for over 40 years.
Being a support worker allows me to make a difference in people’s lives, not just those I support but also my colleagues.
I have always completed relevant training for my role, but I recently completed my qualification award in education and training. It was hard, but I felt so proud gaining this qualification later in my career, I wish I had done it sooner.
I decided to become a first aid trainer because I love learning new skills and taking on new challenges. Now fully qualified, I enjoy delivering Basic First Aid to our Aspire workforce including the management team. It is a great feeling knowing that sharing my knowledge could potentially make a difference in other people’s lives.”
