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From the frontline - Katie Fraser
Katie Fraser is a support assistant at Genesis who also has a passion for theatre
Tell us about your job.
I work at Briar Patch, a residential housing scheme for young adults that have learning disabilities, where we help them live independently by learning skills such as cleaning, cooking and tidying their rooms.
My job is to support our customers by encouraging them to do their key working skills in their rooms, and I also help them when they’re preparing their dinners.
I also help sign their forms when they need to take money out for activities in the community and I work alongside my colleagues to do this.
What’s the biggest challenge you face?
Working under pressure and standing up for a long time is pretty difficult for me as I have a disability that affects me, and tires me out. I make sure I relax and pace myself to do my job to the best of my ability and impress my colleagues. My other challenges are controlling my emotions when things get tough.
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Why housing?
As a former resident of Briar Patch I feel adequately able to encourage and support our customers in the same way that I learned to live independently and live a fulfilling life.
I now have my own place and can do things on my own.
What would you change about the sector if you could?
I do not feel there is anything that I could change, but I think that there should be more of a chance for residents to have their say in how things are run in their schemes.
What is your dream job?
My dream job is to work in theatre because that is a huge passion of mine and always has been ever since I was a child. My dream is to help backstage and front of house and maybe be an assistant in classes for disabled people who want to experience theatre. My grandmother was a theatre director who was very influential in getting me interested in that scene, so I caught the bug off her!
Theatre has a way of just boosting my well-being and can help me whenever I am stressed or upset. I love listening to my theatre CDs and I love watching theatre shows whenever I can at the Birmingham Hippodrome where I volunteer.
You’re prime minister for a day. What do you do?
I would make people understand the rights and issues that disabled people have, and the struggles that can occur with housing and support needs, and the importance of benefits for disabled people.
I would ensure that every disabled person in society, whether they have a learning disability or a physical disability, has access to whatever support they may need.
