Helen Van-Boek – Cover Supervisor, Woodbank Special School

"I’ve been employed at Woodbank for over 20 years. I love my job and feel valued to be a member of an amazing Woodbank team and I’m extremely proud and honoured to help provide a safe and caring environment for vulnerable children and children of key workers during these uncertain times and to provide some kind of normality for these children. We’re getting more children every week with about 16 now, all under 11yrs, with about 16 staff in two teams on a rota system. Using PPE just doesn’t work because of the care we do. We do have masks which Diane Whitton made and that’s all, apart from in the toileting areas where we do have aprons and everything. But there is no social distancing, there can’t be – it’s like being in a little bubble and we’re all happy and we do feel fairly safe. It’s difficult when you have your own grandchildren and you can’t see them, but these are all like your own grandchildren - it’s like a massive family."

12.5.20