A family connection to caring

Ash first came across support work when she was still in high school.

Her mum had worked in aged care and growing up she wanted to follow in her footsteps.

And, as a teenager and one of five kids, when her mother became ill, she also found herself naturally taking on a caring role.’

“So I started out in aged care when I was 16 - when I was in highschool I did VCAL instead of a straight VCE,” Ash said.

“Basically my Mum passed away when I was 17 and I had done a little bit of caring for her in and around school.”

“Mum worked in aged care - and she and I shared stories - It just felt natural to get into that area.

After getting her Cert III in aged care and completing a traineeship in her final years of high school, Ash entered the aged care sector full-time after leaving school.

“I worked after school, weekends, whenever I could - I just loved it,” she said.

“I just loved being able to help people and basically mum had some home care help at times and they just weren’t great.”

“As a young teenager I wanted to make it better, if I could.”

Ash made a welcome shift to disability support in 2016.

“I just couldn't get my head around how rushed it was (in aged care).

“It felt to me very impersonal and I would always try and take the time to be with the client or resident - there was always that pressure to get things done quickly.”

“I was only looking for something casual when I saw InLife’s ad and the rest is history.”

Along with support work which she loved, Ash found a career path at InLife.

After starting as a support worker she moved up to key worker, then coordinator and is now a Client Service Manager overseeing a team in Geelong.

“It’s definitely that all-rounder oversight of everything (the client service manager role)- There’s lots more of the funding and business side of it as well as mentoring,” she said.

”I didn't see myself ever going behind a desk - I was always so focused on the one-to-one support.”

“(But) I saw a bit of a door open when I was a key worker.”

For Ash it’s been an unexpected journey but her reason for choosing a career in support work remains the same.

“I always had that caring nature in me, and I had made that clear when I was 16 years old - I loved it,” she said.