UNISON Ulearn Northern Ireland

I’m based in Holywell in Antrim and have been doing this job for the past 26 years. I had started out doing a catering course, but I left it because it was too far from home. I then went to Massereene College to continue and this job came up and I thought that maybe I’d like to do something in caring rather than catering.

I certainly have seen lots of changes in that time, most for the better, facilities for patients have improved, wards have been refurbished and policies updated. Even though I’d been here all those years, I never joined a union, I suppose I thought I just didn’t need it. But last year, there were a lot of rumours going round about Agenda for Change, and I reckoned that if I was in the union at least I’d get accurate information.

When I joined I didn’t plan to really get involved, but there was no steward in Holywell for the nursing side of things and there were lots of small problems in wards. I was asked by my colleagues to put myself forward and decided to give it a go. I found the course was really good, there was lots of useful information that I could bring back to the UNISON members on the wards. I enjoyed learning more than I thought I would.

I suppose once then I was a steward I became aware of different issues. Health & Safety was always a problem, but even as a steward I didn’t feel I knew enough about it. I knew things weren’t right, but didn’t have the knowledge to challenge things. So I put myself forward for the Health & Safety course. I enjoyed the course, dealing with issues, with ways of talking. I’m not scared to speak out now whereas before I would have sat back and said nothing and of course then nothing would change.

As a result of my learning, things have improved on the ward I’m in. Fairly simple things, like there used to be lots of leads across the floor, equipment not being put away, it wasn’t safe for the staff or the patients. By raising the issues and knowing the legislation, it wasn’t as difficult to improve the situation as I thought it would have been.

It’s only been over the past few years that I’ve started to educate myself and UNISON has really helped. I like learning, making a difference and sharing information with people. I’d like to do some more courses, particularly computers and also learn more about issues such as Violence at Work and Bullying.