SNN December 2018

“Amy wanted to research a number of different industries, however from
the outset showed an interest in Social Work and I do recall when we
were researching the pathway, she was noticeably passionate,” said Mel.
Amy had always thought being a social worker would be a good way
to use the experiences she had throughout her life to help others. In
2011, she started studying to be a Social Worker at the University of
Canterbury and was “incredibly nervous”.
But those nerves quickly faded. Soon after her study had commenced
Christchurch was rocked by the earthquakes of February 2011 which
changed the course of the city’s history.
“The first earthquake in September was terrifying as we lost power
pretty much straight away so I couldn’t see anything. I was also living alone
at that point.”
The earthquakes also made studying at university a much bigger challenge.
The students started the year with online lectures and tutorials. Amy
remembers that made the learning process in her first year of uni that
much harder as they couldn’t meet with lecturers to ask questions.
“We had lectures in tents as a lot of the buildings were unsafe to occupy. It
also meant that I had to be escorted from the time I entered campus until
the time I left for safety reasons,” she said. “I didn’t know anyone else on
the course at this point to talk to or ask for help.”
Amy found a way to get through and at the end of her time at the
University of Canterbury, the feeling of graduating in 2014 was hard to
describe.
“Graduating was definitely a surreal experience because it was hard to
believe that study had finished and I had achieved my goal,” she said.
“Don’t let your disability hold you back.”
Mel was tremendously proud of Amy graduating – more so given the
challenges she had overcome and that she had been part of her journey
from the outset.
“Amy is a woman who has always had a positive attitude and smile on her
face,” said Mel. “There is a saying that attitude equals altitude and Amy
is living this. It is a very rewarding part of our team’s work to see people
achieve their goals and even after doing this work for 12 years, it never
lessens. Watching Amy work through her hurdles over the years, without
losing sight of her goal to become a Social Worker has impressed me, but
more so I am thrilled for her.”
Amy got her first role with the CCS Disability Action as a Service
Coordinator in the family and youth team supporting parents who have a
child with a disability.
“This role was a challenge because even though I had a spinal cord injury
from a young age I had never really been immersed in the disabled world,”
said Amy. “During this role I learnt a lot about being in the disabled world
from other disabled people.”
In 2018 Amy started a new job as a Social Worker at Christchurch Public
Hospital, supporting multiple groups.
“One of the reasons I really enjoy this role is because of the people
that I work with and the courage of the patients. I love the challenge of
supporting a diverse group of people as I am always learning and even if
two patients are from the same culture they can be completely different.”
Amy said the Kaleidoscope team has been hugely influential for her on
her journey.
“Mel has been incredibly helpful,” she said. “She was like an aunt and
uncle of mine who believed that I could achieve my goal of studying and
becoming a social worker when I wasn’t convinced.”
Mel said by taking on new challenges, and investing in her learning, Amy
has continued to grow professionally and personally.
“Amy has grown in confidence, self-management and her ability to identify
where she wants to go and map it out and achieve that.”
Amy is now living her dream job. She has sound advice for others who
have sustained an SCI and are nervous about getting back into the
workforce.
“Don’t let your disability hold you back. I know that might sound odd in
terms of physical barriers but from my experience is that there is often a
solution or a go around you just have to take the time to find it,” she said.
“I didn’t see my disability as a barrier to doing anything. I recently did a
sky dive for charity. I jumped out of a plane on 24 November for cancer.
When I was younger I would do things like this including rafting down a
river. I usually waited and told everyone after I done it because I guessed
it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. Unfortunately in this case
I am raising money so I had to tell everyone what I was doing so they
would donate.”
After what she has overcome, jumping out of a plane will seem
straightforward. It says plenty about her resilience and nature that she is
pushing herself out of her comfort zone again to help people.
Q&A
Melissa Kelly, NZ Manager, Kaleidoscope
Amy had an ultimate goal to become a Social Worker, how important is
to have an end goal to work towards?
That is very dependent on the individual, some people are incredibly goal
orientated and this sets them up powerfully to achieve. Others might
have flexible end goals and as they learn more about themselves, their
pathway and steps become more apparent. At Kaleidoscope we celebrate
the steps on the way to the identified goals, which is important and builds
confidence, reinforces the possibilities and increases motivation; one way
to normalise SCI can be work.
How did you help Amy secure employment?
Together we worked through the world of work and set a solid
foundation of knowledge to empower her to own the process of securing
a job. What that involved was education on how to job search, identifying
and expanding her networks, interview and application support and
targeting the right roles and organisations that matched her values, skills
and training. We met weekly to track progress, discuss opportunities and
ensure that Amy had the tools she needed to be successful in gaining
employment that would be sustainable and meet her long term objectives
in this case; which were reasonably specific. I was also a professional
referee in Amy’s application to the Social Workers Registration Board.
What advice do you offer to others looking to get back into employment?
Essentially feel the fear and do it anyway, as the end result is such a reward.
Rewards such as expanding your social networks, utilising and developing
new skills, decreased pain, improved health and wellness, financial benefit
or even being a role model in your family. Further to this, treat your job
search like a part-time job and set goals and daily tasks.
1. Life skills are work skills, too - Employers rate these ‘soft’ skills
(initiative, adaptability, and organisation) very highly. Ask family and
friends what they think you’ve got to offer an employer if you aren’t
sure.
2. Don’t go it alone – You might find the whole process much easier if
you seek support from Kaleidoscope, friends and family.
3. Get your CV up to scratch.
4. Make a fresh start - If you weren’t happy with what you were doing
before, treat this as a fresh start and opportunity. Think long and
hard and carry out plenty of research before making a commitment
to a new career path. Ask yourself (and family) what job can I do?
5. Get back into the work habit - Get used to having to be somewhere
and working with other people again. Voluntary work, whether it’s
helping out at a school, charity or church, will get you back in the
habit of being at a certain place at a certain time.
6. Get networking - You may think you don’t know anyone useful but
put the word out to family, friends, ex-colleagues and acquaintances
– you could be surprised by the doors that open.
7. Believe in yourself!!
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