Yesim’s perspective

“My name is Yesim. I’ve been a wellbeing practitioner at Thistle Foundation for nine years.  I’m part of a team that has been chosen by the person we support to support them to live in their own home, in their own community, and to achieve what matters most to them in life.  

“Being part of someone’s life is a privilege, but it’s also highly pressurised and complex – supporting someone to achieve what matters most to them is a skill in itself. It’s about focusing on their best hopes in life, championing and defending human rights, encouraging and being supportive, being compassionate and empathetic. In my role no two days are the same. It’s so rewarding but really undervalued. 

“I am a member of SSSC and I undertake ongoing learning and development. My team and I work alongside a range of professionals. We have close working relationships with GP’s, district nurses, psychiatrists, learning disability teams, supported person’s advocates, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists. We are responsible for attending multi-disciplinary meetings alongside these professionals and provide/share critical feedback that informs the decisions they take. Being part of these groups of professionals requires skills and experience and this needs to be valued and recognised.  

“Getting paid £13 per hour or more would have an impact on me personally. Of course, it would help me pay my bills and live in what is a really challenging time financially. It’s about more than that to me though. It’s about understanding how complex our job is, recognising the important role social care workers have in the lives of people in our local communities, and valuing that.”

Yesim Boe, Wellbeing Practitioner.