Caring for Others Begins with Listening to Yourself

People who care for others need space to care for themselves. For frontline staff, practitioners, those supporting vulnerable adults and young people, and leaders across the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector, this is essential to continuing their work with compassion, clarity and purpose.

These roles often involve holding other people’s worries, navigating difficult conversations and responding to needs that cannot always wait. Alongside these responsibilities, staff and leaders are managing their own lives: relationships, caring commitments, grief, uncertainty and change. Their personal challenges do not disappear when the working day begins.

At Mayah’s Legacy, we believe self-advocacy training has a crucial role in safeguarding the wellbeing of those who support others. It encourages us to look inward, recognise our needs and find the confidence to express them. That reflection matters because continually overlooking our own wellbeing can make life’s inevitable ups and downs harder to navigate.

Looking inward means asking honest questions. How am I feeling? What is taking more from me than I can currently give? Where do I need support? Which boundaries would help me work safely and effectively? Making time for these questions helps us recognise when something needs to change.

Self-advocacy gives that awareness a voice. It may mean asking for supervision after a difficult interaction, explaining that a workload has become unmanageable, requesting an adjustment or acknowledging that we need time to recover. These conversations create opportunities for support before difficulties deepen.

Our training places value on the person behind the professional role. Staff and volunteers deserve to feel heard, respected and able to speak openly about their needs. When people feel they must always appear strong, they may find it harder to seek help. Creating room for honesty supports a healthier working culture.

For VCSE leaders, this also calls for organisational action. Encouraging self-care must be accompanied by manageable expectations, appropriate resources, supportive supervision and meaningful opportunities to raise concerns. Leaders can model self-advocacy by respecting boundaries, taking breaks and responding constructively when someone asks for help. Responsibility for wellbeing belongs within organisational practice as well as individual reflection.

The value of this approach reaches the people receiving support. When practitioners understand the importance of their own voice, they can become more intentional about making room for someone else’s. They can ask what matters to a person, allow time for answers and welcome questions without judgement.

For vulnerable adults and young people, that space can make it easier to express discomfort, share preferences and ask for support. Some people will need additional help to communicate. Those caring for them must remain attentive to these needs and continue to fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities.

Mayah’s Legacy self-advocacy training invites us to bring the same care and attention to ourselves that we offer others. Looking inward helps us understand what we need to keep showing up through life’s changing seasons. When organisations support that practice, they help create environments where staff, leaders and the people they serve have space to be heard, supported and valued.