Lauren has been with Simon Community for over a decade, dedicating her career to supporting people affected by homelessness, drugs, and alcohol. Her journey began with a university placement at the Bangor service, where she gained firsthand experience in frontline support.
After graduating, she successfully applied for a Support Worker role, a position she held for eight years. During this time, she developed a strong passion for helping people facing addiction and worked closely with the Drug and Alcohol Outreach Team. When an opportunity arose to join the team full-time, she went for it, stepping into an Outreach Worker role in 2017. In July 2024, she advanced to Senior Drug and Alcohol Outreach Worker, now leading a team of five.
“My whole career has been with Simon Community, which shows my love for the organisation and how much I enjoy working here.”
In her role, Lauren and her team provide one-to-one therapeutic support, meeting the people we support in spaces where they feel comfortable, whether that’s their home, a coffee shop, or a GP surgery. She also oversees drop-in support groups and a family support programme in Bangor and Portaferry, alongside harm reduction initiatives such as naloxone training, needle exchange, and Dry Blood Spot Testing (DBST) for blood-borne viruses. Building relationships with local services is a key part of her work, ensuring clients receive the most effective support possible.
“The best part about my job is seeing someone improve and transform their lives. Establishing our drop-in and family support groups has also been a major highlight of my career and I’ve loved forming great networking partnerships.”
However, the job is not without its challenges. Many people experience barriers to accessing services due to their substance use and one of the greatest challenges remains stigma.
“Society needs to be educated on substance use and addiction rather than seeing it as a choice,” she explains.
“The Outreach Service is a service for the clients. They choose when and where to meet, and they are always involved in their own support and goals. We work with people in all stages of substance use and don’t require abstinence like some services do. That means we’re reaching people who would have otherwise slipped through the net.”
Outside of work, life is busy with two young children, aged four and two.
“They definitely keep me entertained, I don’t know about relaxing though! I enjoy a holiday to unwind.”
When asked about her proudest moment, Lauren struggles to pick just one.
“I am proud every day, of the service, of the team, of the work we do, and the difference we make. But most importantly, I’m proud of the clients we work with and the changes they make in their lives despite facing such adversity and challenges.”
For anyone considering this line of work, her advice is simple:
“Do it! You could make a real difference in someone’s life.”