Lauren Benbow.  April 2021.

Prior to working at Amber, I had been working in various law firms for 5 years. I was working in an office, doing the same sorts of things day in, day out and felt I wasn’t really getting anywhere in terms of a ‘career’. Having worked at Amber for almost 4 years now, I can confidently say that no two days have ever been the same. There is no chance of my job here ever becoming boring, and that’s probably the main thing I enjoy. I actually look forward to coming to work which is a nice feeling! It’s a busy job and there’s such a big responsibility for all of us as we’re working with some very vulnerable people, but it’s a job that you can really get something out of. I’ve been able to complete further qualifications since I started working at Amber and am due to complete an MA this year, which I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do anywhere else. I feel that I have been given such good opportunities for development, which have previously been hard to come by!

Day to day, I come into the office and can be answering the phone to Solicitors, Social Workers, Barristers, Health Professionals and more. We receive lots of referrals from Local Authorities, and it’s surprising how many different reasons there are for families being referred to us. It can be sad to see how many negative experiences people have had in their lives, but it’s so rewarding when they get to the end of a placement and there is a positive outcome for them and their child.

Amber is a much-needed service and it’s lovely to see the company growing all the time. With this comes a lot of work in terms of recruiting, training and retaining staff. There’s so much more that goes into recruiting staff at Amber Family than just an interview – there is an interview, shadow shifts, a second interview, inductions and more. We don’t necessarily look for qualifications and formal experience, but look at personal qualities, life experience and being a good fit for the team. It’s nice to see people coming into interviews who are passionate about a career with us and then see them go on to progress in their roles and become great members of the team. There’s such a lovely, family feel to the company and I enjoy being part of adding new people into the mix.