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I work in a mental health setting. I support those working with children and adolescents in particular.

I was once taken aback when I heard someone who was responsible for this service exclaim:

“I hate needy people!”

My fault for trying to be inclusive of a service user who I believed had potential to enrich the work we were trying to do.

I wish I had blurted out the response that flitted into my mind:

“But the whole point of your service is to help needy people.”

But of course I said nothing, managing no more than a feeble twinge in my heart.

The truth is, I might say something like that. I hate grown adults incapable of putting themselves in the shoes of young people suffering trauma.

I hate those who have lost sight of the role they are employed to fulfil. Surely they can still be moved by more than the need to cover the monthly repayments for the expensive SUV in the car park.

We are in the profession of caring, even those of us in support roles. So care. Show us you care.