Abbie joined St Petrocs in December 2020 as a Resettlement & Reconnection Worker. She is based at one of our two Resource Centres, where housing and benefits advice and access to essential services (such as food, clothing, GP and health services, storage, and shower facilities) is offered to those people who are sleeping rough, vulnerably housed, or facing homelessness.

With a background in hospitality and care work but no direct experience with our client group, Abbie was nervous about starting – but with access to training and the support of experienced staff, she soon developed her skills and has grown in confidence. “I was a bit wary about joining the team as I had no experience within homelessness,” she writes, “but everyone was so supportive.”

St Petrocs: What motivates you to come to work each day?

Abbie: No day is the same, some days are more challenging than others; but seeing people better themselves and moving on with their lives is what makes this job worthwhile. For me, the positives massively outweigh any negatives.

What do you think of the culture here at St Petrocs?

Since joining, I have had many opportunities to develop my skills through training. Everyone has their own way of working which is also how I have learnt. I have pieced together skills from each person which has enabled me to build my own approach and now I feel confident in my work. Our clients are a massive part of our learning too. Sometimes, clients are more knowledgeable about other services/agencies that they have accessed before. We can then use this information to aid us in supporting others.

So far, has your experience of working here matched your expectations?

I haven’t had many jobs, but I can honestly say that St Petrocs is the best place I have ever worked.

You are treated as a person rather than just an employee – you are valued.

Can you see yourself working here in five years’ time?

Even in 10 years’ time, I still see myself working for St Petrocs – potentially moving around the organisation to get some more experience.

What would you say to someone who was considering applying to work with us?

I would 100% recommend working at St Petrocs!