Anna is a proud member of the CPSN support worker team and has been assisting her clients to achieve their goals for over 25 years! She credits her longevity in the field to having such an interesting, varied role day to day. Be it assisting with personal care, a trip to the shops or even to the theatre, Anna is a people person who loves connecting with others.
Anna, (centre) attended the CPSN Mental Health First Aid training and is now an accredited Mental Health First Aider.
How did you begin your career in Support Work?
I wanted to connect with more people and knew I had capacity to help others who needed it. That was back in 1996 and I’ve never looked back!
What do you love most about the work you do?
I love to be there for my clients, a particularly lovely part of support work is offering companionship to people who may feel lonely.
Throughout my years as a support worker, I’ve found that many people report that the disabled experience can be quite isolating so I love supporting people to get out and about and be part of the community a little bit more. I also love how varied the days are, so its never boring.
What is your approach to supporting clients?
I work with all different clients so I really tailor my approach to each individual and what they need and want to achieve but always keep their goals in mind. Above all I prioritise social connection with each of my clients as this is so important.
How would you describe the culture at CPSN?
CPSN makes you feel important! They truly care and check in regularly. It’s great that they provide opportunities for further learning and training – I even recently completed a Mental Health First Aid course through CPSN which gave me an amazing opportunity upskill and better support my clients.
What do you think is currently missing in the disability support ecosystem?
There's not enough focus on community access and social activities, people with disabilities need to feel just as connected to their community as able-bodied people, perhaps even more so but are often treated as though that is not the case!
We know how difficult it can be to find quality support workers with whom you have a genuine connection. Anna has some capacity to provide support to new clients, if you’d like to arrange to meet with Anna and discuss your support needs further, contact CPSN on 03 9478 1001.
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