To think jobs like this MUST exist??

[TherapySquirrel]

I work with children and teens with MH issues, mostly trauma related. Over the years I've worked in various settings, schools, hospitals etc. I have two DC of my own with SEND, one has just started school and that has brought lots of challenges. I also have elderly DP's and PIL's who are increasingly needing support. I used to love my work, I'm good at it, but if I'm honest I've always found it stressful. I could cope in the days when I was able to come home and actually rest but now, well I suppose if I'd known I was going to end up with two kids who would need so much support I probably would've chosen a less emotionally draining, 'peopley' line of work.

Something has to give. I feel completely burnt out. I'm lying awake in the early hours dreading going into work, and I don't want to do anything or see anyone because it takes every ounce of energy I have to get through the working day without crying in front of anyone.

DH works FT and earns well, he has suggested I need to look for a more low stress job, something I can just leave at work and not think about. I've moved from job to job, worked in different organisations but in this kind of sector the levels of stress are all the same.

I want a job where I can work from home, if not all the time most of the time. Something part time, it doesn't have to be school hours but FT just isn't doable with the DC's needs. Ideally I need to earn £20k a year or thereabouts. I've been looking and coming up against a brick wall. Even low paid PT jobs seem to want specific training or experience that I don't have, I have a degree but because my work experience is quite niche I feel like I'm trapped in my current sector. I was talking to a friend and she said what I'm looking for doesn't exist basically, is she right?

I feel so hopeless right now.

I'd look at student support services roles in universities. They are not all direct contact and some involve desk based assessment of needs, auditing processes and cases.Usualy open to being flexible and remote work

Policy work would definitely interest me and I think I'd be good at it, but all the jobs I've seen ask for someone with proven experience in policy. It seems It's really hard to break in to.

I know in some industries progression is the key to flexibility, but its really not the case in mine. Colleagues who are senior to me basically live at work, there is not one person on the senior leadership team who has school aged children.

@TherapySquirrel you probably don’t need an MSc but make sure that the academic side of it is something you van handle - by that I mean just get all the help you need from the uni and tutors and fellow phd students, seminars, etc etc

I think my job would hit all your points, but it is specific to where I live, Blackpool. Without being too outing as there are only 10 of us, we work as low level family support but do not case hold, we meet the families through the children's centres, local stay and play groups and referrals made to us from health visitors or other professionals. We help with children's clothes, food parcels, furniture and benefits but also can hand hold when confidence is low or they need to access further services or as support with appointments with social services or alike. We are well known in the town (by families with young children) and we can also refer into targeted services such as early help, services to help with mental health or even intense services to improve bonds in families. I work 28 hours over 4 days mainly from home but then go out to groups, meet parents etc, I have control my diary for the most part too. Something similar may be working in a children's centre, community nursery nurse (working alongside the health visitor) or family time worker.

I would suggest considering Market/Social research. They tend to be flexible hours, some from home and some out and about meeting people. For a high 20s hour contract you could be getting what you want and although it might be more hours it can be a lot of evenings and weekends in the mix.

Civil service would give you pretty much everything you are looking for. Can be tricky to get in but there’s lots of advice available online, MN included, if you wanted to give it a go. I do 25 hours a week, mostly from home, pretty much at times that suit me. And I don’t think about work when I’m done, that’s what senior civil servants get paid for.

A friend has started working as an assessor for autism in children for a private company. She did a training course that cost around £800 to qualify, she can now diagnose with one other person assessing. You need to have a professional background I think (nurse, social worker, OT etc). I am of a similar background and situation to you working for the NHS and am contemplating.

The pay is very good per assessment (estimation by around 6 hours work) and all remote. She plans to work 2 days a week and has left her previous 4 day a week job and will earn more. There seem to be various things like this out there.

Policy work would definitely interest me and I think I'd be good at it, but all the jobs I've seen ask for someone with proven experience in policy. It seems It's really hard to break in to.

Is there the opportunity to move into a background role in your current organisation? Learning and development for example? Teaching others is low stress and the research and reading lends itself well to a move into policy work. There’s lots of scope for training others in trauma work at the moment, so looking in that direction might serve you well?

Yes it does exist, you'll be looking at an office or admin job. Look at the larger companies with good HR in place. Financial services, insurance companies, banks, credit card places.

If you don't already have it, get skills in word and excel, there are plenty of courses you can take.

I would have a look at jobs in your local authority. There are lots of flexible roles at mine, and many of them relate to the area you have worked in.

Are there any opportunities in the commissioning of mental health services?

Could you upskill your IT skills and work as a medical secretary specialising in supporting mental health professionals?

what about advisory roles at places like the Parents Advice Centre where you are advising parents on how to access services and navigate ECHPs rather than delivering hands on support to teens? That one wouldn’t be WFH but the other two could be

There's a group / page on fb that helps people find work from home jobs ( that are not nasty MLM nonsense)

www.facebook.com/theworkfromhomehub

Thank you all for your suggestions.

To answer a few questions, I've been looking at jobs with my local council. Nothing yet but will keep looking.

I did the Civil Service career matching thing that a pp posted just now and apparently I'm suited to a job in fraud investigation, just looked at the vacancies page and there are hundreds of civil service jobs but they either seem to want specific skills i don't have or they've specified a location that is nowhere near me but will keep checking.

Will have a look at that FB group mentioned as well.

Be wary of thinking working from home with D.C., especially ones with high needs, will be more relaxing. I’ve raised a disabled child with complex issues and always found (once I could get childcare sorted for him, which was a rigmarole) that working outside of the home was more respite for me.

You can earn 20k working as a TA in a special school. It is still peopley but you leave work at work and no planning etc. I do still find it exhausting though. Can’t you go into an admin role?

you are taking on all the worry. Why can't DH take on some of the worry.
So first thing: Drop all the PIL stuff. And make DH worry about the DC stuff when he's not at home too. Why is it ALL on you?

Does he fret about them when at work? work when he's with them? Drop the rope.

If you want to change aspects of your life, then you should be thinking about your part in that, what you might be able to change etc. But He must support you in this.

argh the thread moved on while i stepped away and then i posted.

I really don't want to go back to working in a school in any capacity honestly, I've tried different schools and sideways moves into different roles but its just not an environment I want to be in anymore.

Follow the Work from Home Hub on Facebook, she posts loads of jobs that sound like what you're looking for.

Are there any freelance opportunities in your field? Consultancy work, tutoring or freelance therapist? I swapped to freelancing when we had our second DC and it's been brilliant for flexibility. Less stable but the freedom makes up for it.

Give yourself some time to figure it out. The research and civil service ideas above sound like good ones. Careershifters can be a good organisation, or have a couple of sessions with a career coach. It sounds like your DH is a good sounding board so use him too.

What you don’t want to do is jump into a dead end job which could fuck you and your family over big time should your situation change.

You are smart and you have good transferable skills, you just need to figure out a pivot. Don’t assume you can only earn 20k a year. You can very possibly do better.

Don’t discuss it again with this friend, and be wary of who you talk to about it. Perhaps she simply lacks imagination or is jealous of your skills or the fact you have an earning partner, but you want to discuss a life change like this with people who lift you up not pull you down.

Learn how to be a computer programmer - loads of free courses online / ones you can sign up to. Then you can earn quite well working from home.

I'd suggest the Civil Service too - very flexible, hybrid working in many areas of it. Not mind-blowing pay, but what you're looking for would be easily achievable, and likely to have progression.

Civil service jobs seem to want specific skills i don't have

Also just remember that men apply for jobs when they have 30% of the listed skills, with women it’s more like 90 or 100% (those stats probably aren’t quite right but it’s something like that)

If something appeals, don’t think oh I don’t have those skills - think how do I pivot the skills I have to persuade them I can do it.

Getting into the Civil Service is mostly about passing their aptitude tests and interviewing well - you can learn and practice very specifically for what they want.