Yooralla’s disability support talent showcased in state-wide recruitment campaign

The new Victorian Government workforce campaign aims to shine a light on disability support as an attractive career option with a range of roles where people can make a difference, doing work that matters.

Rachel is a doctor who worked in disability support with Yooralla while she was studying medicine, and still does the occasional weekend shift supporting our customers out in the community.

When Rachel started university, she wanted to support herself financially and disability support work offered her the flexibility to fit work around her study commitments.

Looking back, Rachel feels that disability support work gave her skills and knowledge that remain relevant to this day. She sees her experience supporting people with disability as highly relevant to her current role, working as a junior doctor in a Melbourne hospital.

Some of the Disability Support Workers Rachel worked with at Yooralla were Occupational Therapy students, whom Rachel said “really thrived on their experience” of working in disability support.

“Supporting people with disability gave them important skills like communicating with people with different abilities, which is a huge part of occupational therapy, physiotherapy and nursing.

“Now as a health professional I feel better prepared to support people with different requirements and preferences. This is hugely valuable for anyone and is relevant to so many other professions.

“With a wide range of roles for people with different skills and goals, and ongoing training and professional development, I think it’s the perfect opportunity to build a fulfilling, rewarding career,” Rachel said.

Read more about why Rachel chose to work in disability support with Yooralla while she was studying, and find out how this work has contributed to her career as a Doctor in Rachel’s story from the new #WorkThatMatters campaign.

Sam, lead support at Yooralla’s Reservoir residential accommodation, got into disability support work after finishing school, as a temporary job until he decided what to do next. Nine years later he’s built a career with Yooralla that gives him security, flexibility and the right work-life balance.

Sam describes his work as “supporting people with disability with the activities of everyday life: personal care, nutrition, wellbeing; the essential things that set someone up for the day so they’re ready to go out into the world.”

As a lead support worker, Sam works a mix of day, evening and Sunday shifts leading a team who support six residents. This flexibility provides a work-life balance that suits him.

“What I do now is right for me. It’s flexible – I can play rugby at the weekend and shape my roster around what I want to do in my life. It’s also a secure job and there’s always more work if I want it,” Sam says.

“People sometimes assume I do this work out of the goodness of my heart, but I get paid pretty well for it. People stay in the disability sector because it’s rewarding and because it offers a good lifestyle.

“I’ve worked in day programs, individual support services, palliative care, behaviour support in residential services, and I’ve done complex medical support in residential services, and there are still a dozen other kinds of support models that I haven’t tried yet. There’s a different support worker role to suit everyone, you just need to find the one that suits you,” said Sam.

Read more about Sam’s career on the new #WorkThatMatters campaign website.

Are you seeking a rewarding career doing work that matters?

Yooralla is now recruiting disability support workers. Are you a passionate communicator who will be committed to empowering and supporting people with disability to reach their goals? If you’d like to make a difference in the lives of people with disability and support them to participate in community, social and recreational activities and to live independently in their homes; then then, join the passionate Yooralla team. Find out more about the disability support worker role or view our current vacancies and apply now!

Want to hear more real stories from people working in disability support for Yooralla?

Hear from Ruth and Gbemisola on why our disability support workers love what they do

Hear from Gbemisola and Stephanie about a typical day as a Disability Support Worker at Yooralla

Nick on why his career change from plasterer to Disability Support Worker was “the best thing” he has ever done

Sue on how the flexibility in hours worked in around her family commitments