Not every career requires a university education or a fistful of qualifications. The caring profession is one of them.

What it takes, according to Shmuli Jacobs, 35, a care giver of 15 years at Kisharon, are three essential qualities.

Patience is first and foremost; secondly, willingness to take on responsibility for another individual and all it involves; and, finally, to stand back and be prepared to receive maximum job satisfaction!

Shmuli tells a story about his sister Raquel Drukarch, a teaching assistant at Kisharon Noé School for years until she moved to Amsterdam with her Dutch husband and their children.

On a rare trip to London and in a restaurant, she bumped into a lady with Down’s Syndrome from the school some 25 years ago.

He says: “This lady could not believe it was Raquel. She recognised her instantly even though a quarter of a century had passed since she last saw her. As a carer, you don’t realise the impact you have on people.”

Shmuli’s first experience of the learning disabled community was on a gap year in Israel when he supported adults packing cutlery for Israeli airline El Al. Back in London and looking for work, he got in touch with Kisharon Noé School and was taken on as a teaching assistant, joining Raquel there.

Five years on, he left to take A levels with occupational therapy in mind but was lured back to a caring role when friends needed a hand running a five-day break for Kisharon men at Skeet, the former Jewish holiday camp in Kent.

He got on so well, he was offered a permanent job at Kisharon’s adult opportunities centre in Stamford Hill. Shmuli remembers: “The work seemed like the right fit, and it was. They were a lovely group of men, a lot of fun to work with, and with a big sense of humour.”

Shmuli, now working at Kisharon’s Portsdown adult opportunities centre in Finchley Road, says: “It’s a pleasure to be involved in the men’s daily routine. We are their lifeline to making friendships and forming relationships. We are not just their support worker or member of staff, we are their best friend, often their only friend.”

Personal input in an individual’s life can make a difference. Shmuli explains how staff showered a man they supported with more attention in a project to improve the difficult, boisterous behaviour that made trips out extremely difficult. In time his behaviour changed for the better.”We gave him more attention, more one-to-one care and now it shows. Good things are happening and it’s massively rewarding,” Shmuli said.

If becoming a carer appeals, it’s never too late to start. Many support workers are on their second careers, having had enough of office routine and keen to make to take on a role where they can make a real difference.

Those with any interest in supporting others should give it a go. “Some take to it like a duck to water and find it fun but others realise it’s not right for them.”

Volunteering is another option. “It’s always lovely to see people with spare time, or who are retired. If it’s an uplift you’ll need, you’ll definitely get it from our people.”

Interested in a care giving role at Kisharon? Contact: recruitment@kisharon.org.uk