Sharon
Hi
my name is Sharon, and I started work as an Information and
Support Worker with SNIP in 2002. I
have twin girls with
Cerebral Palsy. I joined the
SNIP team when the girls were 10, and this was the first
time that I had been in a paid job since I had them. I hope that my
experiences bringing up the girls will help me to empathise with others who are
in similar situations.
My
job at SNIP involves working on the helpline, dealing with
enquiries from parents/carers and professionals who may have specific queries on
a child’s condition. There can
be many topics that may come up for those who use the helpline and I hope that I
will be able to help with them all. It may seem like a small thing that you need to know but the small things
are just as important as the bigger ones. So if I can help in any way please contact me.
During
the early years of motherhood, my children attended First Steps Playgroup, which
is a playgroup for children with special needs in West Lothian.
I started by doing voluntary driving and escorting on the bus and I was
then asked if I would start a parents support group to help newly diagnosed
families. The aim of this group was
to make sure that the parents knew what they were entitled to and to offer them
emotional support if needed. I also
worked for the playgroup, helping staff with the children.
I was then invited onto the management committee as an ordinary member.
I enjoyed my time at First Steps and enjoyed helping and supporting the
families.