EXPERIENCE:

For over seven years, I have worked within the disability sector and have developed extensive experience supporting people with a broad range of disabilities, health conditions, complex behaviours and high-intensity support needs. My experience includes supporting individuals with Cerebral Palsy, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, Acquired Brain Injury (ABI), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), intellectual disabilities, vision and hearing impairments, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD, Down syndrome, physical disabilities, complex mental health conditions, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), complex behaviours and individuals requiring high-intensity and highly individualised support. This breadth of experience has taught me that a diagnosis never defines a person and that quality support must be shaped around the individual, their communication, personality, strengths, preferences, risks, goals and what makes them feel safe and understood.

As the Director of Be You Support & Wellbeing, I lead a dedicated team of support workers and remain actively involved in the support and wellbeing of our participants. I am also neurodivergent myself, which gives me a personal understanding of how differently people can experience, process and respond to the world around them. While everyone's experience of neurodivergence is unique, my own lived experience has strengthened my appreciation for individual communication styles, sensory needs, processing differences, emotional regulation, routines and the importance of being accepted without judgement. It is incredibly important to me that participants are supported as individuals rather than being expected to fit into a standardised approach.

The needs and wellbeing of our participants are always a high priority for me. I make myself available to participants, families and our support team so that concerns, changing needs or challenges can be addressed rather than overlooked. I believe good leadership in disability support means being present and approachable, not simply managing services from behind the scenes. I remain involved in coordinating supports, guiding staff, responding to concerns, problem-solving and ensuring participants have a team around them that understands their individual needs. When circumstances change, I work to adapt supports and communicate with the people involved so that the participant remains at the centre of the decisions being made.

I work closely with participants, families, Support Coordinators, Occupational Therapists, Behaviour Support Practitioners and other allied health professionals to coordinate care and build strong, consistent support teams. Advocacy is also a significant part of my role, including preparing detailed support statements and reports, advocating for appropriate NDIS funding, wheelchairs, sensory supports and other essential resources, contributing practical evidence about day-to-day support needs and helping participants and families navigate their NDIS plans. I strongly believe that people should not have to continually fight to have genuine disability-related needs recognised, and I am committed to advocating alongside the people we support.

Alongside participant support and advocacy, I coordinate staff onboarding, training, mentoring and ongoing guidance to ensure our team provides safe, compassionate and consistent support. I want participants and their families to know that there is always someone overseeing their supports who genuinely cares about their experience. My goal is for every person we support to feel heard, respected, safe and genuinely valued, while having access to the right people, opportunities and resources to build independence, achieve their goals and live a life that is meaningful to them.