Review of the onboarding process at Amber Family.

Q: Tell us how you found out about Amber.

I found out about Amber from a work colleague who was telling me about his wife’s job and how much she loved it. I thought it sounded like an amazing place to work, so I went home and looked Amber up online. They were recruiting, so I applied.

I had in the past kept looking for vacancies from time to time as it was somewhere I had always thought would be an employer that would be perfect for me as I had loved working with children and adults in previous jobs, but I actually got told Amber Family were looking for new staff by word of mouth, and I applied straight away.

I heard about the job from current employees of Amber who had told me how much they enjoyed the job and that it was family-friendly, which was key to me with having young children.

Q: How did you find the interview process?

The interview process was good. It was relaxed and friendly, not at all like other more formal interviews, and I immediately felt at ease.  I found it was more like a general chat instead of quick-fire questions, which was a good way to get to know each other. There was lots of information given about the role involved, and I felt relaxed enough to ask questions of my own.

It’s probably the only time I have ever enjoyed a job interview, but I did enjoy my interview with Gill and Lauren. They put me at ease right away, and I liked the fact they allowed me to ask them questions instead of the other way around. I left my interview feeling like I had been given plenty of information about the role I was applying for.

I found the application form straightforward to fill out, and the interview process was informal but was keen for me to have an understanding of Amber Family and what, as a company, their expectations are. Carol and Lauren were reassuring and understanding towards my personal needs.

Q: What did you feel about the shadow shifts?

I enjoyed the shadow shifts; it was a good way to see the day-to-day running of Amber Family, The staff were friendly and I felt able to ask lots of questions I liked the fact that I was not thrown in at the deep end, and as it was relaxed, I took in more information.  I always left a shadow shift, thinking I was looking forward to the next one because I had enjoyed it so much. In the interview, it was explained that the shadow shift was not only a good way to see if I would be right for the role but also for me to see if it was something I would like to go forward with, which was a good way and took the pressure off. Unfortunately, the COVID lockdown happened, so it took a while to start properly.

I found doing shadow shifts a great experience; it gave me the chance to see first-hand what being a support worker is like on a day-to-day basis. It was a fantastic taste of the job and allowed me to make sure it was right for me before committing to the role, at the same time giving Amber the chance to see if I was right for them.

After the interview, I received an email a few days later informing me that I was invited to complete 3 shadow shifts consisting of a 4, 8, and 13-hour shift, working a shift in each of the 3 houses. On arrival for my shift, I found the support staff welcoming and approachable. At times, it was hard to receive the information needed due to staff having to deal with the parent’s needs, but the staff I worked with on the shadow shifts helped me a lot.

Q: Tell us about your induction.

The induction was fine. The process was straightforward. The only thing I would say is that I did not get shown what the fire safety drill key was, so it was such a small thing, but that was all.

I feel my induction session with Amber was done well. The individual induction folder I was given had all the information I needed about working at Amber, their policies and procedures, and training; it even included the latest NHS guidelines. During my induction, I got to meet other colleagues who were starting at the same time as me, along with several different members of staff who delivered the induction.

I found the induction helpful; lots and lots of information was provided. I feel I have found that different settings relay slightly different variations of the information.

Q: As a new team member, share your journey so far of working for Amber Family.

I love my job, and as I prefer nights, I don’t think I miss out on getting to know the families on a day-to-day basis, as I find that the times when it’s quiet and everyone is asleep, I have the time to sit and talk to a mum one-on-one in the middle of the night, feeding them, or if they need anything or just a chat, so in some ways I get to know them better, I suppose.

I love my job as a support worker for Amber. No shift is ever the same, and I love getting to know and supporting the families. I think it’s really lovely working for a company that appreciates and treats their staff well. I look forward to coming to work each shift, which is not something I’ve felt for a long time since starting at Amber.

Since working for Amber I have found the staff welcoming and happy to help with queries and support. Amber Family is a lovely place to work, whether you have children or not. I have found Lauren, through the time I have been within the company, to be very accommodating with personal requests.  The communication process, from when requesting an application right through to working shifts, has been very helpful and thorough.