I had been through a very traumatic bereavement and when I returned to work I found that, due to the stigma around the nature of my bereavement, people did not know how to engage with me.
I bumped into Andy, a Service Manager in the same company, soon after I returned and he stopped what he was doing, drew me aside and asked me how I was. He asked me if I was being supported at work. He put a hand on my shoulder, looked at me with genuine concern, and asked whether I was really being supported. He asked me how I was being supported. He asked me how I needed to be supported. He told me that I could contact him at any time.
I have never forgotten his authenticity and care. Andy did not offer compassion and support because he was a manager - but because we are both human.
Louise Atkinson
Learning Disability Nurse