Supporting people to lead fuller lives

Working with people with an intellectual disability or autism can be one of the most rewarding jobs you can do.

One organisation which provides supports to more than 7,000 people with an intellectual disability or autism and operates in almost 1,000 locations throughout Ireland including Cork city and county is currently hiring.

Brothers of Charity Services in Ireland are looking for staff, many of whom are recruited from a wide variety of backgrounds including social care, psychology, speech and language therapy, social work, physiotherapy, teaching and nursing.

“I worked with socially underprivileged people in my previous jobs in India,” said Koteswar Kareti, Staff Nurse, Cork Services.

“This attracted me to working with people who have barriers to inclusivity and who face challenges daily. This career was a natural fit when I moved to Ireland.”

Koteswar, who has an Honours Degree in Nursing, and a Diploma in Autism Spectrum Studies, both from UCC, has been working with Brothers of Charity Services since 2015. He says that what he loves most about his role is learning from the individuals he supports.

“They are such great teachers. I learned to embrace the joys of life much more from the people I support. I’ve learnt to empathise more, and my observation skills have multiplied. Interdependence is a much better quality than independent leadership.”

Koteswar’s advice for anyone considering intellectual disability as a specialism is to “embrace it wholeheartedly. The work is challenging, but very fruitful and enjoyable. No one day will be the same and you will never stop learning and growing.”

Koteswar added: “The biggest asset of the Brothers of Charity Services is its culture. I am constantly encouraged to do better. There is also the willingness of the organisation to be flexible, which is great for work-life balance.”