My commute to and from the office is short, however my team covers three areas and it can be a bit back-and-forth in the car depending on the cases that day. I like this element of the job; you might have a plan for the day, but this can change quickly if a call comes in that requires an urgent response.
The building is small and consists of three offices with eight desks in total. It is all we need. We are based at the office but we all go off on visits throughout the day. We are a close-knit team, and being together in close quarters allows us to bounce ideas off one another and debrief from a home visit. My team is always checking in on each other, we debrief after any difficult meeting, tricky day or challenging visit to a patient. We are in tune with one another and notice when any of us doesn’t seem quite themselves.
The first thing I do when I get into the office is check the answer machine and our online system in order to get an update on the patients I’m working with. I check if anyone has attended A&E, had input from the police, or if there is anything in general that I need to know for the day.
Lunch is usually marked by spinning our swivel chairs around so that we all face the centre of the room, and eating on our laps. Sometimes I eat whilst I’m working, but I am keen to avoid this where possible. The work is busy, but I am lucky that in a community post I plan my own diary. So long as I am organised I can carve out time for food and a proper break.
My favourite space in our office is the big bay window that sits at the front of the building. I usually pace in front of it when taking calls. Outside seems to be a popular dog walking spot, and it’s nice to step away from my desk occassionally.
