Bryony, au pair - IP4 Ipswich

Personal statement
My interest in the job has come from my love of working with children with special needs. In 2011 I completed my work experience with The Bridge Primary school for children with special needs, at the end of my two weeks they offered me and extension on my work experience to volunteer with in the schools holiday club. After volunteering for a year I was offered a permanent position. Since working my knowledge of special needs, especially cognitive disorders such as Autism, and developmental delays has vastly expanded. It is because of this that I am applying this job which will enable me to further my knowledge and skills in supporting young people with additional needs. At Suffolk One I studied Psychology, Human Biology and Health and Social care. These courses have given me more enthusiasm to achieve my goals of working with children with special needs as I greatly enjoyed certain aspects of the courses such as diseases and disorders in Human Biology, childhood attachments and cognitive disorders such a schizophrenia and eating disorders (anorexia) in Psychology and communication in a care setting and child development in health and social care. During high school I had a range of responsibilities, but my biggest achievements was becoming an "Auntie". This role was similar to a prefect which involved me mentoring with the New Year 7's at their induction day's showing them around the school safely to each class and closely working with them in their first year. Part of my role was also to be a mentor to the students throughout the year. This role meant I worked closely with teachers, form tutors, head of years and senior members of staff who guided and advised me on how to deal with the year sevens throughout the year. At the age of 14 I started babysitting for a 4 year old boy every week day after high school. This is when I found my love of working with children, although the little boy attended main steam school, he experienced a language barrier, was developmentally delayed and had an eating disorder therefore I learnt to use other forms of communication instead of speech to enable myself to communicate with him such as signs, symbols, body language, facial expression and pointing. When I finished working with the boy I applied my passion through working at the Bridge school holiday club. The Bridge school trained me to be a play worker and I am qualified in manual handling and child protection, school safe, pump and gastro feeding, child welfare and can also sign common phrases and sentences in Makaton. Also from this I have gained many other skills such as different forms of communication, I have developed patience, organisation, time keeping, furthered my commitment, common sense, decision making which includes the child's input, problem solving (such as distractin) and creating an inclusive environment. From my job at The Bridge school I also gained a further job completing respite care, for the last 4 years at weekends. I work closely with an 8 year old boy who has severe Autism and his three siblings one of which also has high functioning oautism. I have been lucky enough to be a part of the boy's ABA therapy sessions and have applied the treatments in his home environment with him and his mother to help him to develop. This has also given me an insight into the everyday life of a child with special needs and the barriers and complications they face every day within society and also has given me an understanding of the pressures of what parents with a child or multiple children with additional needs. I also attended my first year University Campus Suffolk this year on their course Special Educational Needs and Disabilities which I have decided to put on hold for now. I now work part time as a supply Teaching Assistant and MDSA at The Bridge primary and Secondary school. I also work at the after school club and holiday Club at the Secondary school which is called STARS. From all my experienced in working with People with a range of needs I have experienced moderate to severe special needs, leaning difficulties and behavioral difficulties. These young people have ranged for 3 years of age to 28 years of age. I am very determined and take pride in everything I do. I am a fun and outgoing person who in enjoys a range of different sporting activities. I take every chance I can get to further my skills and experience in all aspects of life and feel I am responsible and very independent in all that I do but also feel I am an asset to a team. I am willing to take on challenges that are thrown at me and feel I am confident enough to excel in all that I do. Because of all my experience and my passionate nature I believe I am suitable for this job and look forward to the opportunity to not only further my knowledge but further my skills.