Transcript

KELLY EDWARDS

My role with Northamptonshire People First-- I've been there about nine years now, I think-- and that is office coordinator. And that is to help run the office and to support the members in running the organisation.

But I have been involved with people with learning disabilities since I was about 18, when my mum set up a residential home. And it was from a few of my mum's issues is that I met people from People First. And that's how I ended up working there.

I think the basics are that you need to care. You need to be very caring. And you need to care to make a difference for them. But you need to be patient. You need to be thick-skinned. You need to have a good sense of humour.

But I think they are the main skills you need, really. And I think a lot of the people I work with have taught me the rest of the stuff I've needed to know along the way.

Well, it's nice to see them achieve. It's nice to see that you're making a difference. And that's the main things, really, to see them happy.

The only issues were probably that have been low are our cuts to funding, seeing people lose support hours. And then the changes around benefits and things like that that have been really difficult for people to cope with over the last, I'd probably say, three or four years.

That's probably where the low points have been. But you know, we just try and get people sorted.