Joel dishes out knowledge and inspiration to Participants
Since joining Brighter Access as a Disability Support Worker 18 months ago, Joel Deecke has found great reward in using his previous skills and knowledge as a chef when supporting participants.
Working across several Supported Independent Living (SIL) homes, Joel regularly supports participants to build their skills and confidence in developing meal plans and other daily tasks.
“There has been a good number of skills brought over from being a chef. I’m passionate about supporting participants to get hands-on in the kitchen. Meal planning and making healthy choices has been a focus of mine in the houses I have worked in,” he said.
Joel’s interest in joining the disability sector grew when he saw first-hand the positive impact an NDIS plan had on his nephew’s quality of life after receiving funding and supports.
Eager to get started, Joel completed a course through a ‘More Jobs More Care’ program on the Central Coast and applied for a role within Brighter Access.
“I knew I wanted to work with people to support them in meeting their goals and beyond. Now I am completing a Certificate III in Disability Support Traineeship with Brighter Access,” he said.
A rewarding moment for Joel was when working with a participant who had in the past been reluctant to get involved in regular food preparation and cooking. With a little bit of encouragement and perseverance, the participant started to enjoy the task.
“He came to me during my shift and asked when he was going to be able to cook dinner with me again as he really enjoyed it. Disability Support Work can be challenging at times but for every bit that it can be, it’s far more rewarding when you see a participant meeting their goals and setting new ones.
“Working with other Support Workers in a team environment to assist our participants build their capacity has been an amazing process and I can’t wait to see where things go from here,” he said.
If Disability Support Work sounds like the perfect career for you, visit our SEEK page.
