The PAMIS organisation feels like one big family. In the Tayside office, they are not loads of staff members but everyone comes together and helps with what they can, when they can. The layout of the PAMIS building is several smallish offices over two floors. There is only one bigger office that a few people share. Usually this closed off type of layout can mean that staff members are all very secluded. Not at PAMIS! Unless there is a meeting going on, all office doors are left wide open, even Jenny’s. This creates a very open and friendly atmosphere where everyone is very approachable. This feeling carries right through the whole organisation. This has been helpful throughout my entire placement but especially at the beginning as I was unsure where everything was. I felt that I could ask anyone to help. 

What helps to create the family feeling that is throughout this organisation is the twice daily coffee breaks. When I first started my placement here I never went along when asked for a coffee as I do not drink tea or coffee. After a few days of wondering why the office was so quiet for twenty/thirty minutes every day, twice a day, I went along. When I did, I discovered the heart of this organisation. Everyday kettles of coffee are made and taken along to the tea room. Once the coffee is made a small bell in rung to let everyone know that the coffee is ready. Everyone then goes along to the tea room which is where the magic happens. The coffee breaks are not just a time for having a coffee and a chat. During coffee breaks current projects that staff are working on are discussed, ideas are bounced back and forth and different options and solutions are thought of. It is also a time to catch up on what is needing to be done for certain projects without having to be behind email all of the time. For me, this was useful for catching up and talking to members of staff that you may not have seen or known whether they were in or not. It also was a time that other ideas or meetings could be proposed or discussed relating to what I was working on. I found the coffee breaks at PAMIS really fascinating as not only did everyone member of staff that was in go along at the same time but they also all shared ideas and opinions with each other. I think this is a big part of what helps to create the family-like feel that surrounds everyone at PAMIS.

I’m sure that this family feeling extends out to the families that PAMIS work with. PAMIS go above and beyond to help families and give them all the support that they can. I have seen how highly that K’s family regard them and her mum said to me that she would do anything for PAMIS. As this probably echo’s several family’s sentiments towards the charity it shows the importance of the work that PAMIS do.

I hope to carry this kind of attitude on to my future placements and in my career as I think this collaboration for working together and discussing projects creates a good work environment. It also help everyone to know what is going on within the organisation even if it is not a project that you are working on personally.