Kibble Admin

Caoimhe graduated with a Masters degree in Social Work and pursued a career with Kibble. She realised she wanted to spend quality time supporting young people, rather than making decisions for young people that she wouldn’t get the chance to know properly.

What did you do before Kibble?

I was a student in Dublin and achieved my undergraduate degree in social sciences. I applied to do my master’s in social work and moved to Scotland to undertake this.

How long have you worked at Kibble?

I have worked at Kibble for 5 years.  I started while studying for my masters at university then applied for an annualised contract, before becoming a full-time member of staff.

What made you want to work for Kibble?

While studying for my social work qualification I realised I wanted to work directly with young people on a daily basis and Kibble provided me with the opportunity to do this.

Before moving to Scotland, I hadn’t heard of Kibble and I wasn’t sure what working for them would entail. However, once I started, I knew it was what I wanted to do with my life.

Can you give us an overview of your role at Kibble and what area you work in? Please explain about the service?

I work full time in one of the care houses with 8 girls. I give them my time and attention and develop meaningful relationships with each young girl. Throughout my time at Kibble I have worked in care houses with boys as well as care houses with girls. I’ve been grateful to have such a varied experience. 

What is the best thing about working in Kibble/tell us one thing you love about your job?

I felt if I was to pursue a career in social work I would be making decisions for young people that I didn’t get the chance to know properly. Working at Kibble in a care house means I spend quality time with the young people daily and really get to know them. All the little changes I see in their lives make such a difference and to be part of that is special.

The training Kibble provide is excellent, they fully support further learning opportunities. Kibble is an integrated organisation with an array of important services. This is a huge positive as you get the chance to move into different areas of care and support young people at different stages.

Can you share a defining moment or story about your time at Kibble?

I worked closely with a girl who had come to care on a voluntary order. Positively, she felt ready to move on from living at Kibble after a short stay. We heard from her 18 months later as she called from the hospital to tell us she was pregnant but had lost the baby. It was us who she called for support and asked to visit her during the heartbreaking time. This is a sad story but shows the difference that we make to young people’s lives and the impact we have on them. It is a testament to the work we do here at Kibble.

I also worked with a girl who had been in Kibble for 3 years. Since leaving us she keeps in touch weekly. It is inspirational to know how much you make a difference to them and makes the job worthwhile.  

What advice would you give to someone thinking of joining Kibble?

Have an open mind, no matter what you think it will be like, it will be different. You must want to work at Kibble for the right reasons. At Kibble you are surrounded by experienced people, which is hugely beneficial, mentoring is a great thing, make sure you ask lots of questions.

Please complete the following statement using one word – “Kibble Inspires…”

#KibbleInspires me to be better.

Find out about our latest vacancies or look further into volunteering opportunities with Kibble.

With a knack for numbers, Amy graduated with an accountancy degree before starting her career within Kibble’s Finance Department. Discover her story.

What did you do before Kibble?

I was an Administrative Assistant for a financial advice company.

How long have you worked at Kibble? 

I have been with Kibble for over three years now.

What made you want to work for Kibble?

I graduated with an Accountancy degree and was looking for a job that related to my qualification. However, I had limited work experience. I spotted the Kibble job advert for a Finance Assistant and straight away it stood out to me as it was a chance to take the first step into working in finance. I was keen to get my foot in the door of a well-known, trusted organisation close to my home.

Can you give us an overview of your role at Kibble and what area you work in? Please explain about the service?

As a Finance Assistant, my role is varied. I deal with Purchase Ledger, petty cash and reviewing bank statements. I work with the wider finance team to monitor invoices and evaluate income and expenditure for the organisation.

What is the best thing about working in Kibble/tell us one thing you love about your job?

I love the team I work with as we work well together. The best thing is the opportunities Kibble has for staff training, allowing staff to further their career within Kibble and gaining new skills and knowledge along the way.

Can you share a defining moment or story about your time at Kibble?

Being asked to be a ‘Champion’ and share my experience through this interview made me proud to work in Kibble. It showed me that I am appreciated within the company and my work and opinions are valued.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of joining Kibble?

The advice would be to join because there are great opportunities to fulfil your career further and make great friends along the way.

Please complete the following statement using one word – “Kibble Inspires…”

#KibbleInspires Me

Feel inspired to work with Kibble? Visit us often and keep up to date with our vacancies.

What did you do before Kibble?

I was a professional footballer and played for St. Mirren and Everton. I had left school to pursue a career in football and it was all I had ever known. I decided I wanted to accomplish something else for my future and start a career that helped make a difference to people. That’s where my Kibble journey began. I left professional football to take a step into the unknown and have never looked back.

How long have you worked at Kibble?

Overall four years. I started in an administrative role before becoming a Child and Youth Care Worker. I can see my future with Kibble and look forward to continuing to work here supporting the young people.  

What made you want to work for Kibble?

My dad worked at Kibble so I had grown up hearing of his experiences, which had always interested me. When I joined the administrative team, I saw for myself the impact Kibble has on changing the lives of young people for the better even though I wasn’t directly working with them. That’s why I applied to work as part of the care team.

Can you give us an overview of your role at Kibble and what area you work in? Please explain about the service?

I work with young people who are moving on from our Safe Centre. We follow a set daily routine as they enjoy knowing in advance their plans for the week ahead. Currently, the young people I work with are attending education, which staff support daily. For the young people who have left school, they have a placement at Kibbleworks to gain vital work experience that is required for the future. At Kibble, we’re fully prepared to help young people grow in the right direction and guide them to keep up a positive attitude and make plans for their future.

Providing structure, along with building meaningful relationships with the young people, are at the heart of my work. Overall, I show the young people I am available at all times and I prove to them that they can trust me.

What is the best thing about working in Kibble/tell us one thing you love about your job?

The young people! I am only 22 so they see me as an older brother. We easily relate to one another and have a similar sense of humour.

Can you share a defining moment or story about your time at Kibble?

The bond I have with the first young person I met has been significant in my time at Kibble. I’ll be walking across the main campus and when they spot me they run over to have a chat. We regularly catch-up and I am pleased they know they can talk to me about anything.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of joining Kibble?

Be open-minded! Yes, there are challenging days but the rewarding days far out-weigh them.

Please complete the following statement using one word – “Kibble Inspires…”

#KibbleInspires… me!

Jamie, Senior IT Analyst at Kibble, applied to join the team because of the training and progression opportunities. His first task upon joining 3 years ago was to set-up Wi-Fi for both staff and young people.

What did you do before Kibble?

Previously I worked for Manpower based at IBM in Greenock for 12 years doing IT work for JP Morgan Chase, Sony and BP.

How long have you worked at Kibble?

I have worked at Kibble for 3 years.

What made you want to work for Kibble?

Kibble stood out to me as the company offered great potential in developing my current knowledge and ability as training and courses were available.

The reason I was looking for a new job was because my previous role included shift work, rotating days and nights. As I had a family, I wanted a career that did not revolve around shift work.

Can you give us an overview of your role at Kibble and what area you work in? Please explain about the service?

As a senior IT Analyst I provide support across 8 sites with an excess of 600 users. I partake in the company’s on-call support rota to provide ‘out of hours’ support in the maintenance of critical systems. I have numerous responsibilities including, but not limited to, the upskilling of ICT System Analysts and Service Desk Analysts, project management and implementing new technologies.

What is the best thing about working in Kibble?

The fact that Kibble offers support to children who are at risk and have experienced trauma or something that was out with their control. It’s great to see these children progress and not only transform their own lives but help others.

Can you share a defining moment or story about your time at Kibble?

When I joined Kibble, my first major project was the configuration and roll out of Wi-Fi for both staff and the young people. It was a huge success and allowed the young people to have Gaming Consoles as part of their fun activities.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of joining Kibble?

Kibble thrive on helping others. The Kibble culture is one to be a part of.

Please complete the following statement using one word – Kibble Inspires…

#KibbleInspires all.

Discover our latest vacancies to start a career with Kibble.

Ruby is an Operations Manager who oversees the day-to-day running of two of Kibble’s residential care homes. She ensures the young people are safe, supported and get the highest level of care. For Ruby, working at Kibble is not a job, it’s a vocation and one that she gives her heart and soul to.

Can you tell us about your role at Kibble?

As an Operations Manager, I take more of an overview of the services, ensuring Service Managers are well supported and able to meet the needs of the kids. I also ensure the children are well supported and we’re meeting their daily needs. I’ll do supervision with staff, ensure care plans are up-to-date and work as part of a multi-disciplinary team consisting of families, teachers and psychologists to provide the best outcomes for the kids.

I am also the child protection lead at Kibble, responsible for the safety of the children. Not one to sit still, I am currently studying for a PHD which looks at transitions from adolescence to adulthood.

What did you do before Kibble?

I’ve had a number of roles – I’ve been a single parent raising my children, I’ve worked in pubs, and was a house parent for a local authority children’s home. Following this, I went on to university to study social work.

I began working at Kibble on a sessional basis and then moved to part-time as I was studying and bringing up my kids. I graduated in 1998 and began working at Kibble full-time.

How long have you worked at Kibble?

I started my career at Kibble in 1996 as a part-time worker, then moved into full time employment in 1998. My first role here was on a project to help young people prepare for leaving care and onto independent living. This was an innovative project at the time and we conducted research internationally, as well as developing an international resource to help young people leaving care. Following this, I worked as part of a team to set up Kibble’s first community house.

What made you want to work for Kibble?

As a teenager I knew I wanted to get into social work. I was wild and unruly as a teen and wanted to go on to work with young people who had faced difficulties in their past and try to make a difference. I see the kids at Kibble like my own – I really care about them and want to help them find and develop their strengths.

What is the best thing about your job?

Can I really only name one thing? I am able to get involved in lots of different projects! I’m on the fostering panel and Kibble’s health and wellbeing group to name a couple. The positive feedback we get on how well the kids are doing makes the role worthwhile and I know we’re really able to make a difference.

Tell us a defining moment/story from your time at Kibble

I was supporting a child who had faced a difficult past and we spent a lot of time supporting him, and helping him feel safe. He was often verbally aggressive towards me, finding things to say that could be hurtful. I cared about him, and stuck by him and then one day as I walked down the high street, he came out of a shop and ran up to me and gave me a great big hug. He called me a year after he left Kibble to say he was sorry and he didn’t mean any of it – I told him that it was okay, I knew he didn’t mean it and I was so touched that he called.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of joining Kibble?

You need to be aspirational and want the best for the kids. If we don’t have hope for them for the future, we won’t be able to support them towards this right now.

Complete the following statement – “Kibble Inspires…”

#KibbleInspires me to be the best worker I can be so I can achieve the best for my kids and staff.

Discover our latest vacancies and apply to work for Kibble yourself.

Jim is a Child and Youth Care Worker at Kibble. He supports young people who are part of day services and builds trusting relationships with them. Jim’s goal is to provide extra support during the school day to keep the young person happy at home with their families. He still keeps in touch with the first young person he cared for.

What did you do before Kibble?

Previously I worked with adults and teenagers with additional support needs. Many of the people I supported had complex needs and I provided one-to-one support. We ensured the young people had a range of opportunities, and set up regular social activities to meet up and have fun with their friends.

How long have you worked at Kibble?

For seven years. I started in 2012 and helped young people who had faced multiple difficulties.

I work as a key worker within Kibble’s day services. This involves providing intensive one-to-one support for a young person. I develop positive, trusting relationship with the young people and reach out to their families for us all to work together.

What made you want to work for Kibble?

I was impressed with Kibble’s reputation in the sector and the wide range of services it provided to the young people.

Can you give us an overview of your role at Kibble and what area you work in? Please explain about the service?

I am a child and youth care worker providing support to all our young people. Also I am a key worker for 3 young people who are part of our day services. I link in with families, social workers, educational psychologists – we all work together to support the young people. I place a huge focus on helping the family cope and provide advice to family members on who is best to speak to for certain questions and guidance. The extra support we provide at school often means the young person can stay in the family home.

What is the best thing about working in Kibble/tell us one thing you love about your job?

You get so much back from the kids – it is so rewarding. All the children have a range of complex emotions and behaviours and you get to know everything about them – at their best and when they are at their lowest. You are there for them through so much.

The staff are great and provide a caring and relaxed atmosphere.

Can you share a defining moment or story about your time at Kibble?

There are so many to list, however I would probably say it was seeing the girl that I first key worked grow in trust, confidence and became much more settled in her life. To this day, she still rings me up for advice and even now she’s an adult, when I give her advice it still takes me back to when she was 14 and upset over a boy that she had met. I told her not to be upset, that there were plenty more fish in the sea, and recently now that she’s settled and met someone she has since told me I was right.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of joining Kibble?

You’ll be in good company as the staff team are great. Keep focussed and remember why you’re here – it’s for the bambinos. Focus on building relationships with the young people.

When new staff join I believe mentoring is paramount to what we do here.

Please complete the following statement using one word – “Kibble Inspires…”

#KibbleInspires progress and outcomes.