Northumberland care worker speaks of love for Mowbray Day Centre social care job

Adrian Clarke works at Mowbray Day Centre in Guidepost, a centre helping adults with learning disabilities to acquire new skills.

He said: “I get a lot out of my role, and in some ways it does not feel like a job at all. I absolutely love it.

“The work is really varied. I could be in the garden, in the kitchen, or helping with an arts and crafts session. You get loads of training and it really helps.

“Give caring a go, absolutely. You get a lot out of it, you really do.”

Adrian started working at the day centre in 2011 to help set up a garden for users of the centre, having previously studied fine art and landscape design.

He said: “From the outset it was a case of involving the service users to find out what they wanted for the garden, and I got interested in working with people with learning disabilities through that process.”

Now Adrian works in the centre’s kitchen, where he organises the baking group.

The kitchen produces artisan bread which is sold to local people and businesses, with profits reinvested at the centre.

Adrian said: “I’ve got a background in running bread making courses privately so it is really applicable to this job.

“We started off with a small baking group, and it grew until we had fourteen in each group and the kitchen was packed.

“I love getting service users involved in doing things like baking. They are all lovely to work with.

“It is on a small scale but we make everything as professionally as we can. I like to think of us as professional amateur cooks.”

Adrian was speaking as part of the Made with Care North East campaign by local authorities to recruit staff in the field.

A report last year put the social care workforce vacancy rate in the region at 8.7%, equalling around 6,500 unfilled roles.

Association of Directors of Adult Social Services North East chair Jane Robinson said: “As our amazing people have told us, working in adult social care is a career like no other.

“If you are inspired by our stories then please search for ‘care careers’ online.”