A BUCHLYVIE woman is celebrating an impressive 37-year milestone with children’s care charity, Kibble – making her the organisation's longest-serving employee.

Sue Jones, 63, who is a senior learning and development officer with the specialist child and youth charity, highlights the variety of work and the intrinsic rewards for the reasons behind her long service.

Sue said: “I can’t believe I'm celebrating my 37th year with Kibble - I know it’s cliché but it really has gone by so quickly.

"That’s what happens when no day feels like a working day, I guess!  I am so lucky to be able to call my role at Kibble a job.

"I can’t explain how rewarding it’s been over the years – seeing the genuine impact that you can have on the young people is truly heart-warming. I can honestly say that there’s no other job in the world that compares.

“Some of the young people I have worked with over the years have had a challenging start to life and our role is to bring a sense of normality and stability to them.

“You can see the changes in young people throughout their time at Kibble, and that’s all thanks to the people that work there.

"From the child and youth care workers to senior leadership and through to my team in learning and development – everyone has a vital role to play in the support of young people.”

Sue was the first person in her family to attend university, studying at Stirling where she completed a degree in psychology before going on to achieve a further postgraduate qualification in social work at the University of Glasgow.

In her time with Kibble – which started with a four-week placement – Sue has held roles in social work and learning and development. She is now part of a team that provides training and development for the next generation of child and youth care workers, imparting her years of learned experience to new recruits to the role.

Sue added: “I hope I have many years to come at Kibble and can’t wait to see what we can achieve as an organisation. We are forward-thinking and keen to provide the best-in-sector support for young people and I know we have the right teams in place to achieve even more in the coming years.” 

Kibble, an organisation that focuses on trauma-informed care for young people, has shaped the lives of many children over the years and firmly places importance on recruiting the right people, with the right attitudes and the sense of commitment that the young people in its care deserve.

Jim Gillespie, chief executive officer with Kibble, said: “We are thrilled that Sue is celebrating her 37th anniversary with us – she has been a pillar of our community here at Kibble for an impressive amount of time. I can confidently say our organisation wouldn’t be in the place it is today without people like Sue, those committing their lives to the care and support of our young people.”

Kibble continues to recruit for a variety of positions including Child and Youth Care Workers, Social Workers, Learning and Development Officers, and Primary Teachers for its school in Lochwinnoch, Forest View.

For further information please visit: https://www.jobtrain.co.uk/kibble/Home/Job

Additionally, Kibble hosts a starter programme for candidates who want to embark on a career change – all while earning a wage.

The Staff in Training programme will be looking to recruit its next cohort of social care workers in April, to keep up to date sign up here: https://www.kibble.org/work-with-us/kibbles-staff-in-training-course/