Care and support

John

I spotted an advert in my local newspaper and that inspired me to spend some of my spare time as a shared carer.

I was studying, hoping to become a social worker, and was looking for some kind of voluntary work to help vulnerable people. For the last 18 months I have been spending time with Mohammed, a teenager with physical disabilities - and we are learning a lot from each other.

It’s good for him to know someone outside his immediate family and it’s a pleasure to be with him. I’m learning a lot from being Mohammed’s friend.

I think shared care is really important. There are a lot of children like Mohammed who don’t have someone they can call a friend apart from their immediate family. It’s a bit daunting getting to know someone and looking after them but I think it’s a great thing to do and I get a lot of pleasure out of being a shared carer.