Introducing the latest member of the West Lothian Circle Team!

 

Hi and welcome to Circle, I hope you are settling in well? Thanks for agreeing to chat to us, could you just take a second to introduce yourselves?

Hello! I’m Sarah and I’m a new Family Outreach Worker for Circle, based in the West Lothian Team. My role is mental health and wellbeing focused, which differs slightly to my colleagues in the West Lothian Team, who work primarily with families affected by substance and/or alcohol use.

Before we start the serious questions lets break-the-ice a little and get to know you better. What is your favourite film, and why?

Disney+ - Wikipedia

That’s easy! All Disney Films…because my kids love them, and I get to sing along!

 

What would be your last meal and why??

I love trying different cuisines however Italian is a good staple as it’s versatile and you can never go wrong!

 

Thanks Sarah! Now, please could you tell us a little about your journey that has led you to working for Circle?

After studying Sociology & Criminology at University, I went on to work in residential child care looking after care experienced children and young people. I then worked with children with additional support needs at Donaldson’s School, where I learned how to communicate in British Sign Language.  After this, I was as an Advocacy and Participation Worker for 8 years where I provided support for young people to have their own voice in decisions made about their lives and promoted their rights.  The Whole Family Approach policy was the main aspect that led me to Circle. After years of working 1-1 with children and young people, I was keen for a new challenge and wanted to provide support to everyone in the family.

Whole Family Approach - slide 16

 

What excites you the most about working for Circle?

I’m excited to take on a new challenge and hopefully help make a difference. As my previous experience has primarily involved working directly with children and young people, this role has brought a new perspective with the focus on the whole family approach.

 

 

What will your specific role entail/what are you going to be doing and who will you be working with?

My role is mental health and wellbeing focused, which differs slightly to my colleagues in the West Lothian Team, who work primarily with families affected by substance and/or alcohol use. My role will involve working in partnership with other agencies in West Lothian in the Roots Project, which is an early intervention initiative to meet the growing demand for mental health and wellbeing support for families. Through this, families have the opportunity to attend weekly drop-in sessions where they have the chance to connect with a number of agencies who adopt a solution focused approach.

 

One last question: If you could click your fingers and change one thing (societal, financial, political) that would instantly help the families you support, what would it be?

Financial support would help the majority of families I work with however mental health is so complex that I don’t think there is only one thing that could be changed that would instantly help.


If you would like to support our fantastic staff with the vital work they do alongside children and families then you can donate here – Make a Donation – Circle Scotland

And if you would be interested in joining our team then keep any eye out on our vacancies page – Job Vacancies – Circle Scotland


Meet other new Circle team members here:

Kirsten Wales– Announcing – A New Fundraising and Communications Officer – Circle Scotland

 


Find out more about Circle’s longstanding staff here:

Meet the Circle Team – Staff Insights and Interviews – Circle Scotland