From the frontline: Patricia Roberts

Tell us about your job

I am a well-being officer within older person’s services, which forms part of WHG’s health and wellbeing team. I support customers aged 55 and over to remain independent in their own homes and plan for their future.

Customers have a service tailored to meet their needs and we operate across Walsall, with customers living in our well-being apartments and within the community.

What is your average day like? 

I can be out visiting customers in the morning and delivering information sessions around health awareness in the afternoon. No two days are the same and I love the variety. 

Can you briefly describe your career to date, and how you ended up in this role?

Previously working in domiciliary care and specialist nursing care, I’ve worked with customers who are at crisis point.

I relocated from Cambridge and came to work for WHG because I saw an opportunity. It was one of the best decisions I’ve made. 

What is the best thing about your job? 

The team I work with. We face lots of challenges but we excel at what we do and everyone is ready to help and support each other, making us a strong team that has a positive impact. 

What is the worst thing?

Dealing with bereavement is always challenging. Some of our customers have been accessing the service for a number of years and the well-being officers have built a rapport with them and their families.

When a customer is heading towards their end of life, it is often the well-being officer who has to have difficult conversations with families, supporting them with any challenging decisions that need to be made. 

If you could have any superpower, what would it be (and why)? 

The ability to teleport; so when I travel home on a Friday evening to visit my family in Cambridgeshire, I do not have to sit on the A14 in traffic! 

What do you do outside work to unwind? 

I really enjoy arts and crafts. I recently got married and enjoyed the challenge of creating the decorations for the reception venue.

I’m also a dementia friend champion and have been busy supporting my local church to become more dementia-friendly.