I keep a little notebook filled with jokes and slang from the young people I work with. Sometimes I have to Google what they mean when I get back to the office. Those small, funny moments — the banter — they keep me going.
I’ve been a Child Safety Officer for three years, and I’m currently working in the permanency space. My role is to support young people who are on long-term guardianship orders to the Chief Executive until they turn 18.
Working for Child Safety is incredibly rewarding, but it’s also a really difficult space to be in. Every day feels like a balancing act — trying to fix things on a micro level for individual families while also seeing how much needs to change at a bigger, systemic level.
There’s never enough services. There’s never enough capacity. There’s never enough time in the day to do everything that needs doing. The latest I’ve finished work is 2 am.
But it’s my young people who really do the work.
I’m not here to be a negative force in anyone’s life. I’m here to help. I’m here to see change. My goal is to do what I can — a few referrals, a few supports — and then, with love and kindness, never see you again.
