A day in the life of… Chloe Brindley, Behaviour Analyst Intern
(Originally posted 18 November 2020)
Chloe Brindley, Behaviour Analyst Intern joined Green Light in October 2020 from the Midlands after completing her Master Degree in Applied Behaviour Analysis at Bangor University As a member of Green Light’s Positive Behaviour Support Team Chloe works closely with our teams to provide personalised practical support aiming to develop skills and improve quality of life.
Q: What previous experience of autism or learning disability did you have before joining Green Light?
A: I participated in an internship during my Master’s degree, in this role I worked in a pupil referral unit which included children of varying learning disabilities and autism diagnoses, most of which also demonstrated varying degrees of challenging behaviours.
Q: What kind of things do you and your team do on a typical day?
A: As a member of the PBS team, I work alongside support workers, on shift, working with the people that we support to model the PBS plans in place. As a member of the PBS team I also contribute to any adjustments made to PBS plans and put forward ideas regarding ways in which we can enhance the quality of life of the people that we support, using behavioural principles.
Q: What kind of things would you be doing to support the people living in your home?
A: At the moment I support the people living in our homes in a variety of ways from helping with their daily routines, personal care and engagement in activities. Whilst also modelling the implementation of the PBS plan to work both proactively and reactively to reduce challenging behaviours.
Q: What are the challenges & rewards of supporting people with autism & learning disabilities?
A: Supporting people with autism and learning disabilities is the most rewarding job I could ask for following the end of my University degree, being able to actively make a difference and improve the quality of life of the people we support is the biggest reward, and to be able to see the difference that our work makes not only to the person that we are supporting but also to their support staff and their families. All jobs come with their challenges of course, and sometimes it can be difficult to deal with novel situations or remain consistent with programmes but those challenges are always outweighed by the rewards.
Q: As you head to work; what do you most look forward to?
A: I look forward to interacting with the people we support but also with the staff. From my experience at Green Light so far the staff have all been so supportive and welcoming, taking on board ideas and being interested in my role. I look forward to spending time getting to know people and helping to ensure that the people we support are involved in lots of fun and interesting activities that really contribute to enriching their lives.
Q: What has surprised you most about working with people with autism & learning disabilities?
A: How quick and easy it has been to build a rapport, and how the people I have worked with have really engaged with my suggestions and welcomed me with open arms as a part of their staff team.
Q: Have you learned anything unexpected about yourself or your skills and abilities?
A: I have learned through staff feedback that I have a positive attitude and am easy to approach and this something that I always aim for but have never really recognised in myself until being told by others and this has really helped to boost my self-confidence and helps me to build rapport with the team.
Q: What kind of skills & values would you say people need to have, or develop, in order to be great at this kind of work?
A: Social skills are a huge part of this job role, you have to be able to get on with people and enjoy being around people (both the people we support and fellow team members), that also means being approachable and have a positive attitude. You also need to be a ‘sponge’ and take on board others’ ideas and experiences, in order to learn and progress further in your own work.
Q: What’s been the highlight of your career working with people with autism and learning disabilities so far?
A: So far the most rewarding thing for me is being able to notice that I am making a difference to someone’s life, by being able to teach them a new skill in order to help them to become more independent, to help them to communicate their needs and just to use the skills I have learned to improve their quality of life as a whole. Being able to see the progress that the person you support is making, is one of the most rewarding things about my job and something that will never decrease in value to me.
Q: As you leave work, at the end of a typical day, how do you know you’ve done a great job?
A: When I leave work with a smile on my face and am able to reflect on my journey home on the way that I have performed throughout the day and I look forward to going into work the next day.