Meet the team – Vicky Sail – operations manager and safeguarding lead

 What made you want to work with MY CWA?

I started volunteering in 2013.  I was doing a Psychology degree through the Open University at the time and a counselling qualification at South Cheshire. I was looking to gain some experience and, loving everything that My CWA did and stood for, it seemed like the perfect opportunity.

The volunteer work consisted of me being a duty worker on a Wednesday every week. This would involve carrying out risk assessments with clients. I also had the privilege of writing the wellbeing programme.

I thoroughly enjoyed volunteering and ultimately when a junior support worker role came up I just had to go for it! Having come from a corporate role, with a background in banking, I loved the fact that I was doing something that made me feel better at the end of the day than I did at the start! I had felt this way when I was working for free, so to be paid to feel this way was truly fantastic -  I just loved it so much – I could not walk away.

 What does a day look like for you as Operations Manager?

One of the best things is that no two days are the same. There simply is not a typical day! Working for a small charity is so different to a large corporate. We do not have an HR dept or any of the elements you might find in other businesses, so I and the rest of the senior leadership team, manage these things between us.

One of the constants is that I am always seeking to drive forward quality and to support my team. In addition to looking after all operations, I am also the safeguarding lead for the organisation. There will always be something that needs my input around this too, so there really is never a dull day! I also help develop training across the team and develop understanding around what we do, both internally and with the multi-agency providers, such as the professional services we work with like schools, social care etc. We help them to understand how to respond to issues around Domestic Abuse. We often support clients who have complex needs, at MyCWA we are experts in domestic abuse support, but not necessarily in substance misuse or mental health, so in order to ensure improvement of our outcomes, we need to have a collaborative approach.

What kind of things does your role entail?

I oversee the day to day running of the organisation, and manage our Service Managers who are responsible for the delivery of children and young people’s intervention, community services for survivors and behaviour change support for those who harm in their relationships.  I also oversee our volunteering and our peer support.

Last week we re-started our face to face peer support group, which is so important in helping to reduce the isolation so often experienced by those affected by domestic abuse. It felt great to have clients back in our centres attending groups again after a period where due to COVID we have only been able to support on a 1-2-1 basis.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

This has not changed despite my various roles within MyCWA. It’s such a privilege to witness the progression in people, particularly those who come into our refuge accommodation. As families feel safer and grow in confidence, the improved outcomes we see are massively rewarding.  Playing any part in that journey is incredible.

Finally, would you recommend applying to My CWA as a volunteer?

As someone who started with MyCWA as a volunteer – I am a massive advocate.

At MyCWA, volunteering is very much a two-way street – I got out as much, if not more as I gave – the training and development we have is outstanding, and we have such a range of opportunities that will always help you to feel involved and provide everyone with a real sense of community, engagement and achievement.