CHOOSE TO CHALLENGE by Anon

By a Scarborough Soroptimist

Imagine this scenario! There I am, struggling with the demands of three

weekly sessions of chemotherapy, over a seven month period, following a

mastectomy. I am doing well much of the time, maintaining a positive

approach to my future, especially during the third week of the chemo cycle

when I feel quite well.

I am employed, and on sickness absence, as a Children's Services Manager

in charge of a very busy and much needed Family Centre in the North East

of England. I receive a phone call. 'Can my Manager come to see me?'

How lovely, I thought, thinking she would bring good wishes from colleagues

and news of the work situation. And someone else to talk to at a time which

sometimes resembled the lock down situation we are all involved in now!

She arrived, with flowers and smiles. Finally, after an initial light-hearted chat,

she announced that my Family Centre is to be closed, within the next 3

months, and all my staff – 10 of them – and I were to be made redundant.

Although this was not totally unexpected, I did not think it would be happening

just then. I felt completely overwhelmed by the sad news. I was very worried

about the families with whom we worked, and very concerned about all my

staff.

And last but not least, I was worried about myself, as I didn't want to stop

working at that time, and needed both the salary and the stimulation.

Redeployment was a possibility. In the end all my team were redeployed,

apart from one who chose to take redundancy and followed this with early

retirement. What was I to do? One job was on offer – a Children's Services

Manager job, managing a bigger project – three teams, one working with

Young Carers in County Durham, one supporting families with children with

life limiting and life-threatening illness, and one supporting bereaved children

and young people. There were more than thirty staff, and the teams covered

a huge geographical area. Although the nature of the work was of great

interest to me, and I felt I had the skills, from many years experience as a

Social Worker and a Manager, to do the job, I did not feel in any way fit, either

physically or emotionally, to cope with applying for a new job, going through

an interview process, and then taking up this new role when I was able to

return to work.

But – what a challenge!! I could choose to take up this challenge, or I could

stay 'ill' and defeated by breast cancer and hope life would improve

eventually. So I chose to challenge, got the job, and enjoyed probably the

most rewarding job of my whole career. And I am still alive to tell the tale!