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27
Dec 2020
My Year: Harrogate care leader describes 'waves of despair' in pandemic
As CEO of Harrogate Neighbours Housing Association, Sue Cawthray has led her team of carers through the toughest year of their professional lives. At the same time, they've all had their own difficulties to face, as she tells the Stray Ferret.
The last ten months have been challenging for all of us.
I have worked within social care for the last 27 years and it has been hit so hard - I have never experienced anything quite like it.
Personally, I have found it one of the most difficult times in my career having to be nimble in responses to the ever-changing goal posts and the potential impact, and aspiring to be a ‘mother figure’ to all my staff as well as a confidante.
I am a very positive person and my cup is always half full, but some days the negativity of our new normal lives has been mentally taxing. As there has been no respite, some days I have felt anger, frustration and huge waves of despair.
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Being apart from my family has been the biggest challenge for me – my daughter isolated in the Cayman. You may say how wonderful to be in such a lovely place, however when you are forced into a situation and you were expecting to see each other, it has been tough – the choice was taken away.
I struggled with not being able to see my mum for nine months – she is 91 and lives in the south-east and was shielding. We managed two days in September but were unable to hug and be in the same house, and then we faced a Christmas without seeing each other, like so many others.
As a Mum and Grandma, not being able to see my grandchildren and children whenever I wanted to and to spend time together doing all the ‘normal’ things you do as a family has been so tough. Even when we were in a bubble and providing some childcare support, I have been constantly worried about my situation as a front line worker and how the virus is transmitted.
The hardest has been not being able to do the natural things of hugging friends and family, and not being able to console people when they are struggling with their own personal meltdown and, equally important, all the people we care for at work who have needed us more than ever.
Constantly washing hands, wearing a mask, the use of hand sanitiser, cleaning your car down every time you get in it and not wanting to go to the supermarket or any shop... Having to wipe down everything you touch all the time and always being aware of staying a distance from people.
We’ve all had to learn new ways of communicating with each other and, whether we have used Zoom or any of the other virtual platforms, it’s been a fantastic way of staying in touch with people and given us all the opportunity to continue to work and meet together - but it is just not the same.
We have lost all the social aspect of life – whether it is going to the cinema, theatre, concerts, eating out, popping to the pub, or meeting friends and for me singing with my wonderful ‘Sing Bramham’.
Life is just not natural and all I ask for in 2021 is some return to life as we all knew it.
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