Barbara Neil
Kilmarnock,East Ayrshire
Summary
Motivated, ambitious and conscientious experienced residential worker who also has vast knowledge and experience as a non executive Board Member. Experienced in risk management and implementing a strategic approach to achieving the objectives of an organisation through providing guidance and advice to the senior management team and being accountable to Scottish ministers.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Lead Practitioner
Turning Point Scotland
Renfrew, Renfrewshire
08.2024 - Current
- I provide housing support to clients who are at risk of losing their tenancy.
- I support clients to attend appointments at drug and alcohol services and complete referrals to appropriate external agencies with a view to working collaboratively.
- I provide practical and emotional support to the clients I am assigned to.
- I complete risk assessments for all the clients who are referred to the service with a view to managing risk appropriately.
- I liaise with mental health professionals and housing officers to work collaboratively so the best outcome for the clients can be achieved.
Volunteer Mentor
Barnardos
North Ayrshire
05.2024 - Current
- I support a young person once a week to go bowling and facilitate a safe space for them to have fun.
- I listen, understand and empathize with the young person I support so they feel safe and can participate in age appropriate activities for their social and personal development.
- I safeguard the young person I support.
- I have built a strong positive relationship with the young person I support based on trust and transparency.
Board Member
Children's Hearings Scotland
Edinburgh
02.2019 - Current
- Contribute to the strategic delivery of services provided by the organisation to children and families.
- Seek assurance from the senior management team on how and when these services are implemented and provide guidance on best practice in doing so.
- Ensure the organisation is complying with the standards set by the Scottish Government and ministers who I am personally accountable too.
- Attend monthly meetings for the audit and risk committee to ensure public funds are used in the appropriate way for our children and families.
Residential Childcare Worker
The Community Connections
Kilmarnock
12.2018 - 07.2021
- Provide a therapeutic environment for children between the age of 12-18 in a residential setting.
- Practice in a trauma informed and responsive way to ensure the young people felt safe in a comfortable home environment.
- Facilitate young people having time with their families and support young people in meetings with social workers to ensure their voice is amplified and heard and they are included in all decisions made about their lives.
- Protected, promoted and upheld a young persons rights to ensure they received the care they were entitled too.
- Maintained the house to the highest standard of cleanliness and provisions for all the young people who resided there.
- Completed care plans and risk assessments with the children and young people on a needs led basis and reviewed these regularly with social work and the young person to ensure the plans were working for the child whilst adopting a solutions focused mindset.
- Implemented safeguarding measures throughout my practice at all times to ensure the best interests of the children I cared for were the upmost priority.
Panel Member
Children's hearings Scotland
North Ayrshire
05.2017 - 01.2019
- Read background reports concerning children and their families and the circumstances around why they were brought to a hearing.
- Made decisions in the best interests of the children based on the information provided in the reports.
- Actively listened, supported and empathized with young people to understand their views and hopes for their future.
- Assessed a young persons needs and considered social work recommendations.
- Facilitated meetings with social workers and various professionals while managing hearings and potentially contentious conversations to ensure the children and young people in the hearings were heard and protected.
Customer Assistant
Marks & Spencer
Kilmarnock
12.2011 - 12.2018
- Worked as team member, performing cashier duties, product assistance and cleaning.
- Processed cash and card payments during busy shopping periods, limiting customer wait times.
- Regularly replenished shelves, till areas and displays with latest merchandise and signage.
- Resolved customer queries and concerns in proactive manner, leading to increased customer satisfaction.
- Guaranteed first-class customer service, enthusiastically anticipating and catering to customer needs and requirements.
- Addressed customer service enquires quickly and accurately.
- Elevated customer shopping experience by greeting customers in warm, friendly manner within target timeframe.
- Monitored customer surveys and feedback to develop corrective actions for service-related issues.
- Prioritised tasks in order of urgency to create positive shopping experience for customers.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Bsc Psychology
University of the West of Scotland
Paisley, RFWHigher National Certificate - HNC Social Services
Ayrshire College
Skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Safe crisis management and deescalation techniques
- Present data in a written report which is easy to comprehend
- Working as part of a team
- The ability to recognize when an altercation could arise and intervene at the correct time with the appropriate approach for the best outcome
- Reflective practice and continuous improvement
- Conscientious, mindful and high levels of self awareness and the ability to implement this in stressful situations while remaining calm
- Trained in safe holds and physical intervention to be used as a last resort
- Can use SPSS software package to input and interpret data
- Active listening and trauma informed and responsive
- Resilient, psychological flexibility
- Critical thinking and analytical skills
- Providing strategic direction and risk management for an organisation
Languages
English
Timeline
Lead Practitioner
Turning Point Scotland
08.2024 - Current
Volunteer Mentor
Barnardos
05.2024 - Current
Board Member
Children's Hearings Scotland
02.2019 - Current
Residential Childcare Worker
The Community Connections
12.2018 - 07.2021
Panel Member
Children's hearings Scotland
05.2017 - 01.2019
Customer Assistant
Marks & Spencer
12.2011 - 12.2018
Bachelor of Science - Bsc Psychology
University of the West of Scotland
Higher National Certificate - HNC Social Services
Ayrshire College
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