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Steve shares the fact that young people are at the forefront of Kibble, even for staff in support services. Read why he wanted to join Kibble as the Quality Improvement Manager.

What did you do before Kibble?

Before joining Kibble as the quality improvement manager, I was a quality engineer and systems manager for EMA.

How long have you worked at Kibble?

I’ve been at Kibble for over a decade, almost 12 years.

What made you want to work for Kibble?

In my previous job, I was travelling for half the year. As I started to think about having a family my priorities changed, and I wanted a better work life balance. I decided my goal was to have a rewarding career. When the Kibble job vacancy came up, I was extremely interested as I knew of the organisation and the fact it had been operating for almost 150 years.

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

Within my role I am involved in every service at Kibble. Quality assurance covers all areas and all departments.  I manage compliance, external frameworks and regulations and I am responsible for liaising with the Education Scotland Care Inspectorate. I also co-ordinate with WhoCares?  Scotland.

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

The friendships I’ve built with colleagues. Also, the job variety – each day is different.

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

Within the first week, I was working on a big project and declined an invite to the Kibble panto. The CEO entered the room and reminded me it was the Christmas panto and it was part of my role to attend. He stated that the young people come first. This gave me an insight into the culture and values of Kibble, that the kids are at the forefront of everything.

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

Go for it! There are so many positives to working at Kibble.

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

#KibbleInspires inclusivity.

Find out about our latest vacancies or volunteer opportunities now.

SCM Manager Kirsti was previously a hospital nursing assistant in a psychiatry ward and changed her career path because she wanted to make a difference to young people before they required adult services.

What did you do before Kibble?

Previously I was a nursing assistant in the acute psychiatry ward within the Royal Alexandria Hospital. Part of my role was to attend to patients and involved personal care, providing emotional support and helping them return to their community. I worked at the hospital for 15 years.

My previous job as a nursing assistant crossed over with starting at Kibble as I did shifts for both that fitted around childcare for my 2 children. 

How long have you worked at Kibble?

I have worked at Kibble for 17 years. Initially I started as a sessional worker to see if I enjoyed it and if the organisation and I were a good fit.

I did not have huge amount of experience working with teenagers, but I quickly realised if I could connect with young people and build meaningful, trustworthy relationships everything else could work. It is possible to learn the correct processes and paperwork but the ability to develop strong bonds with the young people is vital.

I had no formal qualifications before coming to Kibble and now I am studying an MSC in Residential Childcare. I have progressed my career at Kibble from a Sessional Worker to Service Manager in a number of residential care houses, to a Duty Manager before becoming the SCM (Safe Crisis Management) Manager.

What made you want to work for Kibble?

I wanted a change and started looking out for a new job that still involved working with people every day. I was determined to make a difference to the lives of children and young people before they reached the stage of adult services. I believed that early intervention was critical.

I had heard about Kibble as I lived nearby the main campus and I was interested in starting a career with the organisation.

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

I manage a department that delivers initial training for new staff coming to Kibble. The training shows staff how to manage a crisis situation with a young person safely and how to avoid escalating the circumstance further.

The training focuses on working in the space of the young people and teaching staff that relationships are key. It is about influencing the working practice to help young people feel safe and supported. The course includes the following factors: safety, reality, professionalism, liability and creating a culture of care.

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

I love my job because I enjoy spending time with the young people and sharing in their life experience. My role is invaluable as the training helps staff to cope safely with potentially challenging situations.

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

I am lucky that I have several defining moments that are very special to me. I remember a young person who had a chaotic lifestyle and struggled with daily tasks. We went to Oban on a trip and took the children on a Sea-fari, and to our amazement we spotted a dolphin. The young person and I both turned and saw the dolphin at the same time, then locked eyes on one another in disbelief at the real-life beauty we had witnessed. We shared this lovely moment and there was a strong feeling of trust. We were both emotional, which perhaps showed the vulnerability in us both.

I have another special memory about a young boy who was extremely shy and had low self-esteem and self-worth. When he first came to Kibble, he was anxious about walking from his care house to school assembly and would refuse to go. We took small steps and got him outside the assembly hall, and then eventually we walked in.  He was a keen drummer and we managed to get him to join the Kibble band. One day at a school show he walked in as the others in the band were playing – the children stopped playing and gave him a hero entrance as he took to his seat to start playing. I was so proud and emotional at that moment about how much he had achieved.

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

Don’t forget that kids are kids. You have an opportunity to make a difference. Allow yourself to learn from them and be a part of their world – don’t make them come into yours. Every opportunity is a chance to learn.

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

#KibbleInspires… Hope, relationships and futures.

Do you want to change your career to care? Find out about our latest vacancies or volunteer opportunities now.

Senior Funding Development Officer, Angela is part of the team who sources funding to support the range of projects going on at Kibble. One week she will be working on an arts project for young people and the next, it will be therapeutic animal interaction.

What did you do before Kibble?

I have been lucky enough to have a varied career – I started off working in radio and television which was, at the time very exciting, but as I got older, I decided to look for something that would offer more stability.  I realised a lot of the skills I had learned in my time researching and producing were transferable to marketing roles and fate determined this would be the start of a different career path.  Prior to joining Kibble, I worked in different marketing roles in education.

How long have you worked at Kibble?

I’ll soon be at Kibble for five years and I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoy working here – every day is different!

What made you want to work for Kibble?

I hadn’t really been looking for a new job, and if I’m being honest, at the time I didn’t know that much about Kibble.  When I saw the advert, it stuck in my mind. I remember thinking this is an organisation that really does a lot of good. I’ve been lucky enough to have an amazing family supporting me all my life and I know how important that support network is.  The more I started to read about Kibble and the work they do, the more I wanted the job.  I wanted to be part of an organisation that really makes a difference, even if I was playing a small role in that.

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

I’m a Senior Funding Development Officer in the Funding & Development team.  There’s lots of great work going on at Kibble, and I’m part of the team that sources funding to support these projects. It’s very varied, one week you could be working on an arts project for young people and the next it could be therapeutic animal interaction. 

As well as sourcing funding, I’m also responsible for monitoring the progress of projects and ensuring everything is going according to plan.  It’s a busy team and because you can be working on lots of different projects the days just fly in.

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

I love the variety of my job – no two days are the same.  I’m also privileged to work with so many lovely people who are here for one reason – our young people! 

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

Personally, it has been about Kibble having the faith to let me develop and give me opportunities. I started off in the Communications Team and have since moved into funding. I had skills that were transferable to the job, but I’ve also been given the support I need for my new role.

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

Do it! You will never look back. Kibble is genuinely life-changing, it will totally change your outlook, especially if you’ve not worked in the child and youth care sector before. You’ll be working with a fantastic bunch of colleagues, meet some amazing young people and make friends for life.

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

#KibbleInspires hope.

Neil shares his Kibble career journey, from starting on student placement to becoming a Director within the Executive Team and Head of Community Services. He is proud to be part of an organisation that is at the forefront of developments in supporting children at risk in Scotland.

What did you do before Kibble?

I worked in the service industry since leaving school but decided to go to college and study social care shortly before joining Kibble.

How long have you worked at Kibble?

I’ve worked at Kibble for around 21 years. I started in 1993 and left for 4 years in 2014 before returning in 2018.

What made you want to work for Kibble?

Originally, I started at Kibble as a student on placement while studying at college. I thoroughly enjoyed working with the young people and I believed strongly in Kibble’s mission to improve their lives. I instantly knew this was the career for me, and at the end of my placement I pursued full-time employment as a residential child care worker.

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 Director within the Executive Team and Head of Community Services. In my role as a director, I have strategic management responsibilities which affect the whole organisation. Within my remit as Head of Community Services, I am responsible for the leadership and strategic management for most of the services based out with our main campus including the houses based in the community, our intensive foster care service and early years residential services. The services are diverse and care for children and young people across a wide range of ages in a variety of different settings.

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

One of the best things about working in Kibble is being part of an organisation that is at the forefront of developments in supporting children at risk in Scotland. Our range of services are dynamic and always growing and evolving, which means there is so much diversity in the tasks, which I am involved in. Put simply, I could never get bored at Kibble.

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

There have been so many defining moments. In my formative years, many of these involved knowing that I had made the difference in the lives of children based on the feedback they provided to me. Later in my career as a manager and mentor to many staff over the years, it has been knowing that I have changed the lives of these adults and set them on a path of commitment to improving the lives of children and young people.

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

Be prepared to be challenged in ways that will put you way outside your comfort zone, to grow in ways you never imagined, and to learn more things from children than you ever thought possible.

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

Kibble inspires people to change lives.

Start your Kibble career journey by checking our latest vacancies. Or learn more about volunteering.

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.