At Able Australia, we have over 600 staff and 200 volunteers who work tirelessly to provide our clients the highest quality of support and continuously seek to improve the consistency of our service delivery. We are so grateful for our amazing staff who embody our values of trust, respect, excellence and kindness, contributing to creating better days, every day for people with disability.
One of those amazing staff members is Siam. Siam is a disability support worker at Able Australia, who works from an Able supported home in Bonbeach, Victoria. Siam started with Able as a placement student, and would worked closely with our staff to learn the ropes of becoming a fully trained disability support worker.
We interviewed Siam to share with you his experience as a disability support worker at Able, including a typical day of work, his favourites parts of his job, and how he supports our clients to live the life they choose.
What is your role at Able Australia?
I am a disability support worker at Bonbeach house. My job consists of supporting clients to be as independent as they can with their daily activities as well as supporting them to reach their life goals, or at least working towards them. Added to the tasks above, I also look after the client’s health and wellbeing by assisting them with community access, meal plans, and helping them stay in touch with their families and friends.
What is a typical day in your work life consist of?
To be honest, a typical day in my work life can look different from time to time. This is because I tend to do a wide variety of shifts. Starting from an early morning shift to afternoon shifts, evening shifts, and sleepovers, it is all fitted into my fortnightly roster. However, recently as most of my shifts are in the afternoon, a typical day at work consists of supporting clients with cooking dinner, sometimes going out shopping for their favourite items, and helping with indoor activities such as puzzles and games.
How did you find starting at Able as a student placement?
I would consider myself extremely lucky to have been sent to Able Australia for placement. I was placed at Able’s Riversdale Day centre. The staff were very welcoming and provided me with a warm nurturing environment for me to observe and learn. The friendly atmosphere helped create strong bonds with the clients and staff and led to the feeling that Able was the right place for me.
What is your favourite part of the job?
I love driving clients around and sometimes going for long drives to scenic destinations with clients.
Do you love your job, and if so, why?
Back in my country, there are opportunities to work as community workers and help those living with disability. However, there are no opportunities to make a career out of community work and social services, it was all volunteering work. I had always wanted a career with those who experienced disability and right after I had finished studying, Able Australia had given me the chance to do so. My job is to make our client’s lives easier and happier, and that is why I love my job. I consider it to be one of the most noble professions around.
What challenges do you face in your job and how do you you overcome them?
There are not many challenges in my job. If there was one, I would have to say it would have to do with client’s behaviours. I tend to work with clients who display behaviours of concern. Sometimes it gets tough even after a lot of effort to understand their state of mind. Nevertheless, things eventually get easier with patience and persistence.
Below is a photo of Siam, as well as a photo of Siam and client, Wayne!
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