From working from home to getting her own case load of young people. Welcome to the team Holly Vicary.

7 March 2022

“I recently joined the team here at YG in my new role as Mental Health Youth Worker with a focus on supporting young people struggling with self-harm. I have recently graduated from the University of Gloucestershire having studied Criminology and Psychology. After finishing university, I worked supporting adults with learning disabilities and mental health needs. I enjoyed that role and the challenges it brought, but my ambition was to work with young people.

“Starting any new job can be scary, when I found out I was offered the job from Young Gloucestershire it was both nerve-racking and exciting. My first week was during the last of the lockdowns so I was based at home and really didn’t know what to expect, however I was supported by my manager with regular phone calls, emails and daily zoom meetings with my team. The staff were lovely and even though we were working from home I started to feel like part of the team straight away.

“The first week gave me time to complete online training which consisted of core modules around health and safety, safeguarding and child sexual exploitation. Even though I was working from home, my team members have been checking in with me and seeing how I have been getting on. Once we were able to return to the office my induction continued with a tour of the building and meeting more of the staff. I had a great meeting with my line manager who took me through everything I needed to get stuck into my role.

“Once my online training was complete I started to shadow sessions with young people, this would help me prepare for when I came to plan my own sessions. The support from my team has allowed me to shadow sessions virtually and face-to-face which has let me gain an insight into the varied activities we do with young people here at YG.

“The team I work within are amazing, I have never worked in a team which is so fun and helpful. You really can tell how much the team love their jobs, it’s an extremely positive environment to work in. There are seven other Youth and Community Mental Health workers in my Team, working across three projects that each focus on a different mental health needs for young people. We are all able to share ideas and resources making the job much easier.

“My first few weeks at YG have flown by, the support from my manager and team has allowed me to grow into my role and I now have my own caseload of young people, which I love. No two days are the same, whatever the issue that a young person is facing we will do all we can to support them in a way that suits each individual. The issues young people bring into sessions can be challenging, we have a brilliant safeguarding team here at YG so I feel completely supported and confident in dealing with these situations.

“YG has proved to be a great place to work, I feel like I have settled in quickly and I’m so happy to have the opportunity to work here especially within the role I am in. I am looking forward to working with more young people, I enjoy working with those who are ready to take on new challenges and watching their growth throughout our sessions. The support I have felt throughout my training process here at YG has been amazing, everyone genuinely cares about you and your mental wellbeing.”

If you are interested in joining the YG team check out our jobs page for the latest vacancies.