Three years ago, we were living on the hill, our future uncertain.  I was working part time, some seventy miles from home, in a job I loved, however arduous the travelling was.

At the same time the dice were rolling.  Do we settle here, near the sea, or do we try and get back to our land locked home town?  Nothing seemed easy.   Then two things happened at once.  Well two jobs to be precise.  My part time job suddenly had the chance to be full time, my application was in, things were looking good.  Another job, this time near our house on the hill, an interview offered.  A decision made, whichever offers first that is what we will do.

A week later, and the job by the sea is offered.  I withdraw from the other application process, and make preparations to begin again.

It isn’t easy you know, to start again from scratch.  A new team, new work, everything is different.  However, here I have found a work family like no other.   Over the years we have shifted, people leaving, new people starting, and now, despite a pandemic and lockdown, well now, we are good.

This team mostly speak a different language to me, although thankfully they can also speak English, but mostly they speak with kindness.  The work we do brings us in touch with those children who are most broken, most affected by the decisions of adults around them and mostly it is us, one our own in a room, listening.

You would think that would make us quite sad, but this just isn’t true.  This team have a wicked sense of humour, and collectively are the best bunch of people you could hope to know.