After coping with the impact of her son’s severe brain injury during Service, Sarah Briggs found herself at a personal crossroads, seeking a new challenge and a better work-life balance. Families Employment Specialist Sara Goody describes how she worked with Sarah to help her find the right path and move forward into a rewarding new career.
Adapting after trauma
Sarah’s son Kieran, a former Royal Marine, suffered a severe brain injury in 2021. He was medically discharged and now lives with Sarah at her home in Derbyshire, where he needs round-the-clock care. While Sarah is at work, Kieran has carers. But they leave as soon as she gets home to take over, which can be exhausting after a full day’s work.
Sarah had worked for 23 years as a Pool Manager and Swim Teacher at a school for children and young people with severe learning disabilities. She found she was no longer enjoying it and wanted a new challenge. For years, Sarah and her family had a tough time finding the support they needed. As a result, she’d developed a real passion to help other families who have experienced traumatic events or who need help.
Balancing work and care
Because Sarah cares for her son in the evenings and at weekends, she had to find a job with regular daytime hours and some flexibility. We began searching for in-person or hybrid roles. It was important for Sarah not to be fully remote, as her work gives her an opportunity to stop being a carer and to enjoy her own time and independence.
Having one job for many years can be a positive for employers as it can show loyalty and dedication, but Sarah’s CV needed some work to highlight her transferrable skills. The more we spoke, the clearer it became that she had been doing much more than might be expected of a Pool Manager.
We also discussed the incredible skills and qualities she has gained by caring for Kieran, such as strong organisation, communication and resilience. We talked about how best to include these in her CV and in job applications.
Sarah had plenty of qualifications, but she worried that they were very specific to swimming and pool management. We worked together to re-order her CV, showcasing the qualifications that most related to working with children and families.
Aspiring to a new challenge
Families Employment Specialist Sara Goody
Although Sarah had fantastic self-confidence, she was hesitant to commit to changing jobs. She was determined, but also questioned if she should give up a secure long-term job to pursue something more rewarding.
Together, we looked for the right role with a good, understanding and supportive employer. We found a couple of promising roles and put in the applications, then Sarah was invited for an interview. I helped her prepare some questions and think about other helpful tips. Sarah did brilliantly and was offered the job as a GP Link Worker for children and young people, working in social prescribing.
We continued to speak over the phone before Sarah began her new job. When her start date had to be delayed because she contracted COVID, she was worried about how they would view her being off sick in her first week. We talked it through and she felt much better. Sarah spoke to her manager, who was very supportive and agreed that she would start the following week.
Sarah loves her new job and says she’s so glad she made the decision to change careers.
Belief and encouragement
Sarah said: “Sara was so passionate about being able to find me a new role and gave me so much encouragement. She made me believe I could do anything.
“After securing an interview, I had a bit of a meltdown. I spoke to Sara who told me to think positively and gave me the support I needed to get me through it and keep calm. Without Sara believing in me, I never would have thought I could have such a drastic change of career.
“I’ve since set up a children and young person’s department for social prescribing in my area, which has been welcomed by local people.”