Rebecca has worked in residential children’s home for the last 10 years, but for a long time has wanted to work supporting children in an education setting instead. It was only recently that Rebecca decided that she needed something different and decided to make a change and apply to work with our sister agency Vision for Education.

She says: “Having worked in children’s homes and with children in different settings for over a decade, I realised I needed a change. I started looking at agencies and saw a job vacancy with ABC Teachers' sister company, Vision for Education. I researched the agency, liked the sound of them and when I got in contact, they were very friendly and welcoming. I discovered that they work across lots of different settings, so I could get a variety of work each day. This was important to me as it meant I could gain more experience and knowledge to see which career path I would like to go down.”

By changing sectors Rebecca has been able to find work that she really enjoys. She says: “I’ve really enjoyed working with non-verbal pupils. I use short-worded language to get to know their needs and sign language, which I knew the basics of but have been able to learn more. And dealing with challenging behaviour is a part of the job that I enjoy the most and it always has been.”

Although it’s been a big change for Rebecca moving into the education sector, she has relished the challenge and it has provided many opportunities that she has grabbed with both hands. She shares: “Working with an agency on supply has enabled me to get into a sector that I have wanted to work in for a few years now. I’ve been able to get a feel for different settings in mental health support and counselling and in schools, and because it’s flexible, I can easily work it around my schedule. I’ve even been asked to return to a role in September which I couldn’t be happier about.”

She continues: “I’m so glad I made the decision to change sectors and work with Vision for Education. Helping to give young people the tools and knowledge they need to succeed in life is really rewarding, plus the fact that Vision for Education is so friendly and approachable, it makes working with them really simple and easy.”

Find out more

Many of the support and SEND support roles we have available at ABC Teachers are suitable for people with a variety of different backgrounds and experiences. For example, we have staff who have previously worked in social/care/youth work, children’s residential homes, sports coaching, care homes or mental health support work, to name a few. If you want to find out more about how you can move into education with us explore our support and SEND support vacancies, or call your local branch today, we’d love to help you.