Earlier this month, Chris, our CEO, went over to one of our Step Down houses to spend some time with the Step Down and EHW team.
Here’s how it went:
My aim is to meet with every team at least once a year (more by invitation) for me to stay connected to everything we’re doing, hear about the successes and challenges our staff are facing, and give an opportunity for the teams to speak to me and ask any questions. I’m from a frontline background, I’ve done some of the work CS does first hand, and some of it is completely new to me. Despite this, the world is rapidly changing and so I want to stay fresh in what’s happening on the frontline and also become reenergised by being reminded about why I sit in an office looking at spreadsheets nowadays.
The Stepdown & EHW team meeting was great, the team are really well led by Mel, their manager who has created a great, collaborative and supportive culture. It was obvious to see how the team enjoy being with one another and really respect Mel. One of the highlights of the meeting for me was hearing people share about challenging cases they’re working with at present, seeking advice from one another in how to move forward with their support work. I was bowled over by the intensity and complexity of situation each of them are dealing with, how well equipped they are to meet significant needs, and how they know they’re supported by their team. It was an amazing atmosphere and I felt humbled and honoured to work with such incredible people. I was also given a tour of the house by Miriam and it was great to see how high quality the whole property was. Plus I got a chance to speak with 2 of the residents there and hear about their positive experience of the house and the staff.
As a follow up I’m hoping to book in some time to shadow one of the embedded workers in the hospital as it’s not something I’ve had the opportunity to be involved in before.
