Staff Story
Fiona’s Role as a Support Worker
From Lancashire’s factory floors to Northern Ireland’s frontline homelessness support, Fiona’s life has been shaped by compassion and an unwavering belief that everyone deserves a safe place to call home.
At Simon Community, we are proud to work alongside people whose lives have been dedicated to compassion, resilience, and care. Fiona is one of those people – a woman whose journey has shaped not only her own life, but the lives of many others.
Fiona’s story begins at just 15 years old, when she left school to work in a Lancashire handbag factory. She recalls:
“My hands stitched handbags for six years, but even then, I knew my path was meant to be somewhere else.”
By 21, she found that path in social services, caring for older people living with dementia. What began as a step toward psychiatric nursing quickly became a lifelong commitment. Fiona says:
“Supporting people became part of who I was, I never looked back.”
Her career would take her across many roles over the next decades – starting a family, returning to care work, supporting people with learning disabilities, mental health challenges, and physical disabilities. She supervised a residential unit, developed an Age and Disability department for a major telecommunications company, and even ran her own business for a decade. Yet something still felt incomplete. She told us:
“Homelessness was always in my heart.”
From sneaking out at age twelve to bring jam sandwiches to elderly veterans in Manchester, to witnessing large‑scale homelessness in London at sixteen, Fiona carried those early moments with her. At twenty‑nine, she would come to understand hidden homelessness personally, experiencing it after a marital breakdown.
“It changed me. It made me understand the pain and the silence around it.”
At 42, she discovered Simon Community.
“I read about the organisation and felt something shift. I knew I had to be part of it.”
She became a Support Worker, spending three meaningful years with us before returning once again in 2017.
“Out of 48 years of employment, support work within Simon Community has been the most rewarding role of my life.”
Each morning, Fiona enters the day with the same reminder:
“Every day will be different. Every person’s journey is unique.”
Moving into temporary accommodation can be daunting, and for Fiona, the goal is to make that transition as positive and compassionate as possible.
“From the minute someone walks through our doors, we’re there. We welcome them, we listen, we build trust.”
Some clients arrive hopeful; others come with only fear, exhaustion, or a belief that they are beyond help. Fiona guides them through every step – paperwork, assessments, support plans – while advocating for healthcare needs, benefits, or long‑awaited housing opportunities.
But for Fiona, the role goes far beyond practical support. She says:
“It’s about being a calm presence. It’s about reminding people – sometimes for the first time in years – that they matter.”
Watching trust develop is one of her greatest rewards.
“When someone lets down their walls, even a little, it’s monumental.”
Seeing people move into their own homes, often with a renewed sense of hope and confidence, brings her immeasurable pride.
Of course, there are challenges, Fiona shares:
“Some clients come to us with deep self‑hatred. Seeing someone sabotage their own progress is heartbreaking.”
But her belief in people never wavers.
“I’ve seen transformation happen. That’s what keeps me going.”
Her own life experiences – some difficult – have become the source of her greatest empathy. She reflects:
“For years I wondered why I had to go through hard times. Eventually I realised those experiences allow me to connect with others on a deeper level. There’s always light at the end of the tunnel.”
Outside of work, Fiona finds balance in music – everything from opera to heavy metal, 1940s dance bands to Tibetan throat singing. She immerses herself in arts, crafts, upcycling, books, documentaries, and meditation.
“It grounds me. It allows me to give my best to the people who need me.”
Fiona doesn’t describe pride in terms of personal achievement. Her pride lies in others – the clients who rebuild their lives and the colleagues who grow within the service. One moment, however, stands out: being part of the transformation of our Saintfield Road, Belfast site into Simon Community’s first female‑only temporary accommodation service which offers 22 bed spaces.
“It’s something I’ll hold close to my heart forever.”
To anyone considering support work, Fiona offers honest advice:
“It’s not always easy. Some days you’re stretched thin. You have to prioritise, think on your feet, and rely on your team.”
But above all, she believes in the power of presence.
“Support work is about truly listening. It’s about dropping egos, working together, and creating safety. When people feel safe, that’s when healing begins. That’s when lives change. That’s why we do what we do.”