ONE of the longest serving members of West Devon?s social services team stepped down last week after a career spanning 30 years.
Roma McMahon, of Tavistock, started as a home help in 1972, working part-time to enable her to look after her two young children.
She recalled that the role, now known as home care assistant, had changed a lot over the years.
?Back then the tasks were general housework, shopping and laundry with very little personal care,? she said.
Eleven years later, Roma became a family aide in West Devon and Okehampton.
She remembered once having to walk across two fields to reach the home of a family who had no electricity and got their water from a nearby well.
She was part of the team which set up the family centre in Tavistock ? the first of its kind in Devon.
Ten years ago Roma became a community care worker, and for the past three years has been personal care manager for the West Devon adult team.
Recently she has turned her hand to the Supporting People scheme, which aims to help people continue living in their own homes by assisting them with tasks they find difficult to do themselves.
She said the past three decades had seen many changes in social services work.
?Social work is very demanding, both physically and mentally, but at times very rewarding when we are able to improve someone?s quality of life even just a small amount. That is very satisfying,? she said.
?I have also been fortunate to have worked with an excellent team who give each other great support by operating a good ?buddy? system to look after each other.?
Roma, who lives with her partner, Peter, is an accomplished tennis player in the national veterans? league and plays badminton in the winter.
She has recently taken up golf, and hopes to improve her handicap after retiring.