Charlotte Barnes

I am a reliable, experienced, and passionate Psychology graduate. Both my education and current role as a support worker have enabled me to become a highly organised individual with strong time management skills. I welcome any opportunity to learn new skills and put into practice the skills I have already gained.

I currently work as a support worker for an individual with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), learning difficulties, and anxiety. I hold a high degree of professionalism and a strong understanding of the importance of confidentiality. My primary responsibilities are to ensure the effective communication, safety, health, and wellbeing of the individual. I support the individual in their efforts to understand and communicate with others. I also support them to develop independence and life skills through the use of Contemporary Applied Behavioural Analysis, incorporating systematic analysis of situations and breaking down tasks to enable the individual to learn and develop new skills. This allows me to effectively assist in the delivery of the individual’s care plan. To ensure this is effective, I carefully plan sessions before delivering them to the highest standard, this includes using assessments and targets to inform next steps for the individual, and preparing the necessary materials. It is also important to be observant of the individual’s behaviour and provide support to manage their anxieties, and increase and develop their confidence; therefore, I can effectively support and enhance the professional psychological care of the individual. Good communication is vital to ensure the individuals needs are understood and met. Consequently, this role has allowed me to develop a high level of interpersonal skills. The role also involves administrative responsibilities, for example, documenting each situation in session notes and tracking progress using digital resources. I attend and contribute to weekly team meetings to discuss any progress or challenges, and how to adapt his care to these needs, as well as fortnightly training meetings which involve wider conversations about the individual’s progress, with partner agencies. During current training meetings, we are developing a training DVD, which will contribute to the development of new staff members. This involves working together closely as a team to identify the most important factors to include, as well as filming the individual in different environments to demonstrate this. Therefore, I understand the need to be collaborative and effectively communicate with your team, as well as the need to treat each member of the team with dignity and respect, whilst being aware of my own behaviour. Training meetings also provide opportunities for me to develop my skills. For example, demonstrating a task with the individual and then gaining feedback. This is useful at allowing me to further develop my skills and competencies. 
 

I have recently completed a masters degree in Investigative and Forensic Psychology at the University of Liverpool. I gained invaluable skills during my MSC degree. These include:
Developing my teamworking and oral presenting skills through delivering a group seminar;
writing a court report which involved psychological assessment, analysing psychometric tests, and making recommendations; developing my critical thinking and problem-solving skills.; developing quantitative and qualitative research skills regarding research projects.