IT TAKES time to settle in to a socialcare job.

Once the first day jitters have subsided you can settle into the induction period.

Sometimes lasting a day, a week or maybe longer, this settling-in time is vital for new starts.

Whether you’re a social worker, healthcare assistant, support practitioner, or activities worker, an induction period is vitally important. It pays to be proactive and introduce yourself to as many people as possible.

If you can’t remember all your new colleagues’ names, try to pair them with distinguishing features – Brian with the beard, Tracey with the tattoo and so on.

The health and safety briefing in a social care setting is required listening.

Be all ears when it comes to equipment usage, first aid and fire procedures.

You shouldn’t really be thinking about holidays when you begin a new job but it’s helpful to know how your workplace operates. Is there a scramble for school holidays or a lottery? Similarly, it’s good to get the heads-up on sickness procedures. It becomes a lot easier to integrate into the workplace when you ask questions, so ask as many as you like.

Don’t pretend to know things you don’t, as in social care this could lead to some serious mistakes further down the line. It helps to have a tour of the workplace.

Being able to create your own mental roadmap avoids embarrassing wrong turns. Before you know it, you’ll be six months in and your work will feel familiar.