Meet Shaun, our new Head of Services (West)
Q. Can we get some background on your history with Penumbra?
I joined Penumbra as Service Manager for Distress Brief Intervention Ayrshire & Arran and Suicide Bereavement Support Service Ayrshire & Arran in May 2022. It feels like yesterday and at the same time also feels like I’ve been here for years! It has been a fantastic couple of years, it was a real privilege to support both services to grow and develop. Colleagues in both services are very passionate about the work they do and it was great to be part of that.
Q. What does this promotion mean to you and what do you hope to bring to the role?
I loved the role I was in as Service Manager, it was a great privilege to support both teams to develop and help the service grow. My new role as Head of Services (West) gives me an opportunity to continue to do that with other services and teams across the West. As with any new role, there is always a sense of anticipation (and a little nerves!) but that is far outweighed by the sense of excitement I have to help grow and develop our services in the area. We will continue to provide the highest quality of support for people, and work together to come up with creative solutions to problems we face. It is an exciting time to be part of Penumbra and I am really looking forward to playing my part.
Q. Do you foresee any challenges in the West area? Are you excited for any specific challenges?
Life would be very boring without some challenges! In a wider sense there are huge challenges across the social care sector, especially in third sector organisations as we see a rising need for people to get support however at the same time a very difficult financial landscape. Penumbra is no different in that respect and I know we need to be the best we can in order to provide the support we are all so passionate about, in order to help people on their journey to better mental health. It is a real positive that in Scotland we have national strategies on self-harm, suicide prevention, and the stand alone mental health and wellbeing strategy. With that comes big expectations and it is our role to meet these expectations. Challenges can also be seen as opportunities – this is my optimism coming out!
It is an exciting time to be part of Penumbra and I am really looking forward to playing my part.
Q. Why Penumbra?
Although I have always worked in social care, my experience before joining Penumbra was in children & learning disability services. I really enjoyed this, however, I did want to challenge myself to try something new. The Penumbra website was filled with people’s own journeys with Penumbra, that was really impressive to me, and I knew that this was an organisation that was proud of the work they do – and I love that.
If someone is considering joining the team, I would tell them to spend some time reading our website or social media, that ethos you see in sharing people’s stories and putting people at the heart of our work, whatever the role, is exactly what working in this organisation is like. That culture is apparent all over, and this also includes how we care for staff. It will not always be an easy job, but you if you are passionate about supporting people then this could be the place for you!
Huge thanks to Shaun for this insightful blog and congratulations on your new position.
Inspired? Visit Penumbra’s career page: penumbra.org.uk/careers
