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Kelvin - Disability Support Worker Interview

Edmen • May 01, 2020

This week we were lucky enough to interview Kelvin, a disability support worker originally from Nigeria. He is a kind, compassionate man with a huge heart and it was a pleasure to get to know him. We hope you enjoy this interview as much as we did.


1. Kelvin, can you tell us a little about yourself and why you decided to become a Disability Support Worker?


Well, I grew up in Nigeria, West Africa. As a child, I always wanted to be a valued medical practitioner. In my head, this was a way to be relevant to humanity, particularly to vulnerable people.


However, as I developed into young adulthood, I wanted to try new things and see where my other passions lie. One area which was of great interest was the finance industry which gave me some incredible opportunities like working in the finance department of the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. To further develop my passion and skills in finance I studied accounting.


My love for helping others in need was still a passion and so I started working in different facilities to develop my skills as a disability support worker. I spent over 4 years developing my skills as a support worker in a variety of settings and as such, I am now very happy to report I am very pleased that I chose to transition to this profession.


2. What does a typical day look like for you as a disability support worker?


The kind of jobs I do on day to day with my customers are numerous. They include assisting clients with personal hygiene, giving medication, preparing food, housekeeping, mentoring and providing support.


In the same vein, implementing programs aimed at helping clients achieve their individual goals and positive outcomes in respect of their personal, educational and cultural development is my core business.

3. Bonding with a new client I’m sure has some challenges, how do you break down these initial barriers?


The strategies I use to bond with a new client is generally case dependent. There are some restrictions on what you can do with particular clients so I need to make sure I have researched their past history. Looking at what previous health professionals have mentioned in the past to ensure I am effectively building relationships.


In saying that, I have over 3 years of experience working with clients diagnosed with intellectual disability, Mental Health Disorder, Autism, Asperger Syndrome, Epilepsy, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, challenging behaviors, self-harm tendencies and intellectual and physical disabilities.


As you can imagine, each of these complex groups has techniques that may work though at the same time will be absolutely ineffective to another. I apply the right skill as the situation demands to solve prevailing problems.

4. Why did you choose to work for Edmen?


The reason why I choose to work with Edmen in comparison to other agencies, is that Edmen has a good working relationship with staff members, mostly in the area of flexibility and understanding.


So far my experience working with Edmen has been extremely enjoyable and I look forward to having more of it in the future.

5. What makes you excited about work every day?


The way my client smiles or in their own way shows happiness at the work I am doing. It means I am giving the right, targeted support. That keeps me coming back every day and it makes me really happy too.

6. What impact do you feel you have on your client’s lives?


The impact I feel I have on my client's lives, is to assist them in achieving their individual goals and positive outcomes with respect to their personal or cultural background.


Over the years I have developed unique and individual strategies to support particular clients meet their goals. Being able to provide this targeted, client-centered care is critical because my job is not about me - it’s about them.


My ultimate aim is to give hope and support to the feeble or the vulnerable.


7. What are your recommendations for others looking to become a disability support worker?


Do it! Becoming a disability support worker is an extremely rewarding career.


Also, after a busy shift, it’s tempting to eat take away and to watch TV for hours but you have to be kind to your body. Instead consider eating a good, healthy meal full of veggies and get some rest. Though it may be hard some days, aim for 7-9 hours of sleep so you are fit, strong and ready to do it again the next day.


I always knew disability support workers were generous, kind people but I now have a newfound respect for anybody in this line of work. We hope you enjoyed this interview as much as we did.


Emma Smith


Registered Nurse - Emergency


Co-founder The Other Shift



theothershift.com


Edmen Community Staffing Solutions Blog

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Tell us a bit about yourself I’m a Residential Youth Worker with Edmen in the Central Coast. I started working with Edmen at the beginning of the year and I support young people in out of home care. I’m also currently studying a Bachelor of Social Work. What do you want to do after finishing university? I’m currently studying social work which aligns well with Youth Work. I want to go into child protection after uni so having this background and experience in the Youth sector is helpful. I’ve gained a wide variety experience working in the residential houses. What type of settings do you work in? I work at three main types of houses that provide different levels of support. There’s a house that runs a 13 week program for young people so that’s shorter term care. I also work in houses that provide 1 to 1 support and group homes. What does a typical day at work look like? A typical day would involve a morning activity after the young people wake up, this could involve cooking or cleaning. Our role is to help them develop their skills so once they grow up, they can look after themselves in the adult world. During the day we do all sorts of things, we go to the beach, we go to the park, we go shopping. How old are the young people you support? They are anywhere between 8 to 16 or 17. What do you like most about working with Edmen? The thing I like most about working with Edmen is the flexibility. They [Edmen] have a lot of contracts with out of home providers so there are a lot of places for us to work. I’m a university student so it’s hard to find a job to fit in with my schedule but Edmen works well because I can go and do what I need to do while also making a decent living. Do you have any advice for people wanting to get into Youth Work? If you want to get into Youth Work, firstly you must have a passion for supporting children and young people in their transitional years. It does take a lot of patience and you have to be passionate about it. I think it’s also worth noting that you need good communication skills and de-escalation skills, as well as self-confidence. You’ve got to know yourself - you can’t go into this job insecure. Do you have any highlights or moments that have stuck with you as a Youth Worker? There was one instance where a young person I support was having a bad day and there’s this TikTok game called ‘Randonautica’ which gives you a random location to go out and explore. This young person suggested we go out and play this game so we did and her mood completely changed. Once we got home, all she could talk about was how much fun we had on our scavenger hunt. It’s these little things like this that you think are insignificant which stay with these young people. Our job is to make this time of their lives as positive as possible. Have the young people taught you anything? Yes, they’ve taught me so much. I always joke that I know what all the kids are into now days. But on a personal level, I’ve learnt so much about myself and really developed my communication skills. What’s next for you? I should graduate in June next year so I hope to use my experience gained at Edmen to work at Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ).
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Let's face it, unpaid placements can create barriers for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. A recent article in the ABC highlighted the case of a social worker student who had to take almost a year off from university just to be able to save up for a 1,000 hour or 10 month placement. Amid a cost of living crisis, this is not an isolated incident. Many students face similar challenges, limiting their access to valuable work experience and potentially hindering their future career prospects. Now under the spotlight, unpaid placements have been flagged as an area in need of serious reform by the largest review of the university sector in decades. Mandatory work placement serves as a cornerstone to many university degrees and courses. Placement hours students are required to complete varies but are significant. For example, to become a Youth Worker is between 120-400 hours. Students studying a certificate in disability support need to complete at least 120 hours. While nursing students need to complete at least 800 hours of placement. Generally, these positions are unpaid. Paying students for their placements is not just the right thing to do; it's also beneficial for employers. Here at Edmen it’s something we’ve committed to. Our Kickstart program supports Queensland students studying a recognised qualification for residential youth work. Under the program, students earn while they learn and get paid for their placement hours, whilst working in a supportive environment with our community service partners. We’ve seen firsthand that paying students to complete their placement hours improves the work that they do. They are more likely to be motivated and committed to their roles, leading to better outcomes for students, service providers and our community at large. It’s my view that Youth Workers are a vital profession in our community and all students should have access to paid placements in much the same way trade students undertake apprenticeships. For this to happen though, serious reform is needed along with more government funding. But while there’s still a lot of work to be done when it comes to making student placements more equitable, we see Kickstart as a step in the right direction. If we want to attract the students that the youth support service sector desperately needs, working for free shouldn’t be a requirement to kickstart careers. Following the success of the Kickstart program, we have launched our Kickstart event series aimed at students and prospective youth workers in regional centres. Our first event will be held in Toowoomba on March 20 th and 21 st at Toowoomba City Library. Register now to secure your free ticket.
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