Tracy - Holiday Coordinator

2pm Changeover day
It’s Saturday - always a busy day at Malcolm Sargent House as it’s changeover day and new families are arriving.

I come on shift, taking over from Anne (my fellow holiday coordinator), who updates me on the latest departures and any early arrivals. I then liaise with any volunteer drivers who’ve come in to help with airport or home pick-ups or drop-offs. top of page

3pm A CLIC Sargent welcome
The families start to arrive. Once our housekeeping staff have shown them to their suite, I go and introduce myself and arrange a suitable time to give first-time families a tour of Malcolm Sargent House. In the course of the tour I introduce each family to the various departments, especially the catering staff if the family has let us know about any specific dietary requirements.

On average a tour takes half an hour, but they can easily extend to an hour or more if the families have many questions or want to tell me about any individual needs. Some of today’s families are anxious as it’s their first visit, and I do my best to reassure them and make them feel at ease.

Some of the guests need medical input from the Outreach Team from Yorkhill, so I let them know the time and date of their appointments.

5pm Quick catch up
I catch up with my emails and destroy the previous week’s files and medical information forms. top of page

5.30pm Putting families at ease 
I pop down to the dining room in case the families have any questions or concerns about their holiday.

Their main worry is usually what might happen if anything goes wrong with their child’s health; they want to know where the nearest hospital is. I explain that it’s in Glasgow, which is just a 50-minute drive away, and we always have volunteer drivers standing by in case they’re needed. top of page

6.30pm Tea break
It’s time for my break, so I spend a couple of minutes in the staff room and then visit the lounge where some families are watching Strictly. They’re looking forward to this evening’s X Factor. The kids tell me which acts are their favourites; they’re quite vociferous about the ones they think are rubbish!

7pm Planning more holidays and breaks
All our guests seem settled, so I take the opportunity to telephone families who are coming to visit us in the next few weeks. I also start organising one of our special breaks for bereaved families and young people; they often need extra support, but it never ceases to amaze me how they open up to each other and how much it helps them to talk to other people in the same situation.

8.30pm Joining in
I go round the lounges, playroom and games room to catch up with families. They’re taking part in all kinds of activities: there’s a table tennis tournament going on in one room, and children playing with the Xbox in another. I’ve also arranged for one of our support workers to come in and run an arts and crafts session. I can tell from the amount of mess that it’s going well!

A couple of teenagers are playing pool. This isn’t their first visit, and they cheekily challenge me to a game. I’m not bad at pool, so I don’t mind having a wee game just this once – but luck’s not on my side tonight!

9pm  Preparing for the next day
The families gather for supper. I leave them to enjoy their meal and email Anne with an update on the families who’ve arrived and let her know about a couple of outstanding tours that she’ll need to do tomorrow. I tell housekeeping about some information that the night porter needs to be aware of.

9.30pm 
My shift is over. I’m looking forward to a good night’s sleep as I’m on a much earlier shift tomorrow. top of page