Youth and Community Engagement Worker (YCEW)

A typical day in Jigsaw for me would be liaising with external organisations, Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) meetings, meetings with other YCEWs, meetings with my manager and studying community engagement workshops.

There would also just be chatting and getting to know other staff members in the Tullamore Hub.

After leaving college I worked in an assisted living facility for young people with a range of complex support needs, such as mental health, challenging behaviour and disability. I then worked in a disability service, where I was a lead staff in a residential service for adults with down syndrome, autism, prader willis Syndrome and fragile X Syndrome.

After two years in the disability service, I looked for a change. I started as a family support worker for those experiencing homelessness in Galway. Here, I worked with adults and young people within the traveling community, as well as asylum seekers and individuals suffering with mental health issues, domestic violence and drug and alcohol abuse.

Before I began with Jigsaw, I was in Moyross, Limerick, with Tulsa’s Youth intervention team as a Youth & Family Support worker, working with marginalised young people in the area.

I only started to work for Jigsaw within the last three months. When I originally thought about applying for the position, I was thinking things like: what does this organisation do?; what young people are targeted?; what is staff turnover like?, and what do other employees have to say about working here?

While things like perks of the job, salary and pensions are important factors, the most important thing to me was the type of work Jigsaw do, and what current and previous employees had to say about working for Jigsaw. During this process I heard only positive things about Jigsaw.

I feel I am very new here, but an advantage I have found so far would be having the freedom to create your own path within the position.

Another one would be creating connections with stakeholders, such as the traveller movement, Mental Health Ireland, Youthreaches, the FAI, GAA and various schools. This way we can spread the word about Jigsaw and educate adults and young people about mental health. It is also a privilege having a youth advisory panel to echo the voices of young people in this country around mental health needs.

Since I began my role, I have found any staff member I have spoken with to be so kind, helpful and welcoming.

I interact with young people in schools, Youthreaches, GAA clubs, and more, giving mental health workshops. I would also work regularly with young people involved in the Youth Advisory Panel.

I work with local communities such as the traveller movement, Mental Health Ireland, Youthreaches, Local GAA Clubs, and the FAI in building strong working relationships. I would also give community workshops to adults and young people.