Hear from our people

I joined Focus seven years ago as an A3 Assessor in the Single Point of Access, taking a leap of faith and completely changing career at the age of 40. Shortly afterwards I moved to the Short term Team as a Social Work Co ordinator, before successfully interviewing for the Social Work Apprenticeship programme in 2020. Throughout the apprenticeship I was part of the Long term Team (later called the Active/Disability Team). I graduated in 2023 and secured a qualified post, remaining in the Active/Disability Team as a Social Worker. In 2025, I was successful at interview for Senior Social Worker and, in August that year, moved into the Learning Disability Team.

Throughout this time, in every team I have worked in, my colleagues have been welcoming and supportive. I would recommend the apprenticeship to any colleague considering working towards a social work qualification. I have seen many changes within Focus during my time here, and my (still fairly new) role is not without its challenges; however, I am proud to work for an organisation that promotes the development of its staff while always keeping the people we support at the centre of all we do.

I have been with Focus for 7 years now. During my time I have had amazing opportunities for both my personal and professional development. I feel like a person not an employee. In my experience, your view point and thoughts are considered and heard.

I have been fortunate to progress my career here at focus starting as a Business Services Administrator to now managing the team I first joined. My knowledge, skills and experience has developed greatly in the last 7 years and I feel as though my colleagues and managers/leadership value my input and respect my knowledge.

Back in 2018 I found myself having to seek alternative employment and I came across focus’ advertisement for finance roles. I researched focus and really liked their values and commitment to the community. I also looked at the employee benefits and focus seemed to have the same commitment to staff. The annual leave and flexible working was very impressive this was worth another £2K salary for me personally. For me Job role satisfaction and working environment is more important than salary.

I decided to attend an open day where I met several members of the Finance Team who made me feel very welcome. I really liked the fact that focus held an open day as it gave you a small insight into the company, the role and being able to meet other members of staff before applying. The application process was very streamlined and I felt very at ease during the interviews – which was nice after not having an interview for 17 years.

I have worked with Focus for almost nine years. Even before qualifying, I knew I wanted to work in adult social care. If I’m completely honest, I didn’t fully understand what I was stepping into and I’m still not sure whether that was an advantage or not. I was fortunate to complete my second placement at Focus, and from there, the rest is history.

Over the years, I have completed the ASYE programme, progressed to Senior Social Worker, and more recently into the role of Social Work Manager. I am also a qualified Practice Educator and will soon be undertaking the Best Interests Assessor course.

Throughout my career, I have had access to exceptional training, supervision, support, and colleagues within Focus. This has played a significant role in shaping my professional journey and supporting me to reach where I am today, for which I am truly grateful. I have no intention of stopping here; I remain committed to developing myself and supporting others to become the best versions of themselves. I have a strong passion for supervision, reflection, and development both personally and professionally.

Social work is not for the faint-hearted. It is both challenging and deeply rewarding, requiring a distinct skill set and strong values. It is not a profession suited to everyone. I feel privileged every day to work alongside colleagues who share the same vision and values, colleagues who continue to show resilience, positivity, and commitment, even during some of the most challenging times we have faced.

Focus offers high-quality training facilities, supervision, office space, agile working, and flexible leave arrangements, all of which you might expect from a supportive organisation. But these features alone are not what make Focus exceptional. What truly sets Focus apart is its people: a community of professionals who share passion, vision, and mutual respect. What makes Focus special is not the facilities, but the people who show up every day with a genuine commitment to improving the services we provide.

If you are committed to development, open to learning, and thrive in a collaborative environment, Focus welcomes you.

Working for Focus has been a highly rewarding experience; and being part of a small team on the Single Point of Access means we support one another with the daily challenges and celebrate the wins together.

There is a genuine pride in the work we do and we see first-hand the impact we have on people’s lives. Even the busiest days are rewarding.

We take the time to understand the situation an individual faces and help them navigate through some of the toughest times they may ever experience, through what can appear to be complex processes.

Having worked within the adult social care service in North East Lincolnshire for the past 16 years, I have built strong links with the community, my work colleagues, the management team who are supportive, encouraging and passionate about empowering adults to make informed choices about their own care and the care of their loved ones.

We listen to the views of our partners and our clients and because of the unique service provided in this county, we are able to respond quickly to peoples changing needs and offer reassurance and confidence in getting the appropriate help quickly when it’s needed.

This is why I continue to work for Focus; I feel I am able to make a real difference in the area I live and for the people I care about.