Noriko's Story

I first joined Look Ahead about 14 years ago.  I’ve spent most of my Look Ahead career here at Felstead Street. I love the service because we take a holistic approach to a person’s life. This includes mental health and day-to-day support and wellbeing needs, as well as social activities. We see the person in our care for who they are, which means we form excellent relationships with them. There is mutual trust and respect, which is quite special.

I really enjoy working with our residents. There are lots of stigmas and stereotypes attached to terms like “mental health” and “complex needs” and it’s a pleasure and privilege to see the people we support defy these, day in, day out.

Many of our residents have a real talent for art. They have been taking part in regular teaching sessions with an artist, for well over a decade. I’ve enjoyed seeing them build up their skills and produce fantastic projects. It was definitely career highlight for me when our residents showcased a selection of their paintings and creations for the wider community, at their own exhibition at Arbeit Studios in Trowbridge Gardens, in Autumn 2024.

Seeing how happy our residents were at having such a big audience at the opening really meant the world to me. They enjoyed seeing their wider care and support network, alongside other new people come specifically to meet them and celebrate their achievements. I also felt very supported by colleagues from across the organisation who lent a hand in different ways.

To me, it symbolised Look Ahead’s wider culture, which is very supportive, not only for customers, but also for staff. Look Ahead encourages you to flourish and progress if that’s what you want to do. Personally, I started out as a support worker, but my managers noticed my potential, and I got a promotion after six months which was so rewarding.

The organisation is very flexible too. We all have reasons why we may have to step away from work for a while, maternity leave, caring responsibilities, you name it. I know I’ve had to, more than once.

However, Look Ahead leaves the door open for former staff to come back and continue to impact the lives of the people we support positively.  The way I see it, if you care about supporting people as they improve their lives in ways they never imagined were possible, Look Ahead is the place for you.