Bethel - A portrait of youth welfare staff

"Personally, I think the shift work is great because I can pursue my hobbies and include my football training in my work schedule," says Kilian. As an educator, he looks after children, teenagers and young adults with mental and/or physical disabilities at Haus Arche in Bielefeld. He experiences the residential group "like a small family".

"People with cognitive or mental disabilities come to us together with their children aged 0 to 9," explains Patricia. At the Bethel.regional accompanied parenthood clearing centre, the social education worker and her colleagues take six to nine months to guide the parents in caring for and raising their children. From intensive diagnostics to the in-house daycare centre - the work requires a lot of specialist knowledge. "You meet people with very different biographies, working with the children is a lot of fun and we are a really good team," Patricia enthuses.

"We support young adults in the context of youth welfare, emergency housing assistance and integration assistance," says Mario about the special services offered at the Otto Riethmüller House. Some of the residents aged between 18 and 27 have an addiction problem or psychological problems. At Bethel, they regain stability and self-confidence. The services on offer range from residential groups and outpatient work to in-house employment programmes and day-structuring measures, such as craft activities or a garden area with animals. "I was a freelance musician for a long time and I'm really happy that I can also use my passion here," says Mario. "I've received a very warm welcome here," he says.

"Helping girls to grow beyond themselves is what particularly motivates me about this work," says Lisa. She works in a girls' residential group at Bethel.regional. Together with her colleagues, she supports the girls in their everyday lives, from getting up to organising their free time. "There's no standardised approach to our work, I have to react spontaneously to situations and make quick decisions."

Videos: Matthias Cremer