I heard from a friend who was already working at HammondCare about their great culture. It’s a level playing field, a place where people want to do good. And I’ve always been passionate about community, about helping people.
After graduating from nursing I decided to follow my other passion for a few years - making music - and was presented with an opportunity to travel around the country touring with a band.
When I met my wife I thought I’d better get a bit more serious with my career. I also knew a life on the road eating two-minute noodles wasn’t a sustainable option!
My first role with HammondCare was as a scheduler with the HammondCare At Home (HCAH) team. The hours really suited my lifestyle – starting at 5am and finishing at 1pm - and it meant I was still involved in a care support role.
When I applied for a care manager’s position, HammondCare sponsored me to restart my nursing degree at the Sydney Adventist Hospital, as my registration had lapsed. This was a pivotal time for me as the clinical background the RN studies provided laid the groundwork, understanding and empathy for the teams I found myself working with.
There’s been quite a bit of career movement in the past decade including Client Liaison Manager followed by NSW Team Leader with Dementia Support Australia (DSA), a national service led by HammondCare. Then, with HammondCare’s support, I relocated my family to Melbourne to take up a management role with the HCAH Victoria team, and then back to Sydney for a role as National Operations manager with DSA. Then last year, I decided to take time out of the workforce and leave HammondCare to study my MBA. During this time I also started a consultancy business.
In between studying and working on my new business, I reconnected with HCAH General Manager Bay Warburton and asked him to meet for coffee, to see if he had any projects my consultancy business could help with. The fact that I could reach out to him reflects the types of relationships that are typical at HammondCare – we all have a shared vision.
Bay offered me a full-time role back with the organisation, as Head of Region for the HCAH North team. I really missed the team and culture at HammondCare. I was excited to take up this new opportunity, and after discussing with my wife, I accepted.
My team spans from the NSW Hunter region up to Brisbane. Even though we're not the biggest team, we cover a very large geographical area.
HammondCare has developed a culture where people are encouraged to grow their personal and professional skills, and my employment story is evidence of that. I’ve felt incredibly valued, respected, and supported along the way. Knowing the decisions I make have a positive impact on people’s lives is something I’m proud of and motivates me to come to work every day.
Even though I'm not on the frontline in my senior role, I’m finding other ways to ensure I’m still making an impact – providing people with the tools to do their job well and growing a positive culture.
I also have an enormous amount of respect for my colleagues; they’ve set the bar very high. I try to model my behaviour on theirs. Each day I come to work, I feel grateful to be part of an organisation that focuses on providing the best care, and working with like-minded individuals who are passionate about HammondCare’s Mission – to improve the quality of life for people in need.
If anyone reading this is thinking of applying for a role at HammondCare, my advice is simple: Do it now, you won’t regret it!