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Team Member Story: How Charlie Helps Build a Dedicated Team at Headway ABI

Charlie is our Human Resources Coordinator for Recruitment and Compliance. With 10 years of experience in HR, Charlie brings a wealth of expertise and knowledge to the Headway ABI team. We were lucky enough to discuss Charlie’s responsibilities within Headway ABI and learn a bit about what she looks for when choosing an ideal team member.

Q: Can you tell us a bit about your role with Headway ABI?

Charlie: “I’m responsible for recruitment, compliance, and inductions. To start with my role in recruitment, I play a major part in interviewing and hiring potential candidates to come on board and do everything I can to ensure they’re the right fit. If they are, I also verify they have the right licenses, qualifications, and pass all required background checks.”

“The second part of my role is induction. I have a big responsibility for onboarding and ensuring our newest staff members are properly introduced to the team. It’s important they understand their roles, responsibilities, and expectations completely and also be aware of what channels to reach out to whenever they need support. Ensuring each new employee is set up for success to embark on their career at Headway ABI.”

“I work with my colleague if there are areas where they need training to take on more required responsibilities, we have a big hand in ensuring they have everything they need to succeed and do their job to the best of their abilities.”

Q: What do you look for when hiring a Headway ABI team member?

Charlie: “It’s tough to find someone that meets our standards, but we look for someone in the care sector who is there because they genuinely love to help people. Someone that’s empathetic and has an innate sense of caring.”

“Energy is another thing we look for. We’re a close team and try to identify someone with a high frequency of energy. Someone who’s innately happy is so important. It keeps our staff’s morale high and makes the experience of caring for our participants a lot more enjoyable.

“At the same time, we’re also looking to identify someone who’s incredibly responsible and will meet professional boundaries.”

Q: When asked to expand on ‘boundaries.

Charlie: “Every care decision a staff member makes needs to align with their training and the advice of other supporting professionals. For example, if a doctor recommends a participant to follow a physical schedule (such as refraining from walking), that must be respected. Even if the participant feels like they can, and all signs point to it being fine, we must respect those recommendations. I need to have confidence that every new staff member will also respect them. If there’s any doubt about their capacity to follow those boundaries, they’re not the right fit.”

“Another aspect of respecting boundaries is the relationship between participants and carers. While I’m trying to identify a caring and empathetic person, I’m also looking for someone who can uphold professionalism. If a participant or a Support Worker gets too attached, that can become problematic. There must be no favouritism, and the relationship with the participant is of a professional level.”

Q: Why do you love what you do?

Charlie: “I honestly get an overwhelming sense of personal gratification from seeing others succeed. Knowing I’ve provided people with the correct training, tools, and resources they need to do their job as effectively as possible brings me a lot of satisfaction.”

“To go beyond my role in HR, it’s being a part of a wonderful mission with Headway ABI. Before working in care, I worked with a tech Managed Services Provider. It was an amazing career progression, but towards the tail end of my role, I wanted more meaning behind what I do each day. Headway ABI is incredible in that sense.”

Q: What is it about Headway ABI that makes them stand out?

Charlie: “Headway is all about empowering individuals to achieve. Honestly, nothing is too hard, the staff goes above and beyond to make each participant’s experience special. The smallest details are considered.”

“It shows within our accommodation. The houses are absolutely beautiful. They don’t have a clinical or institutional feel to them at all; they’re homes. I visited one of the homes the other day, and a participant gave me a tour of his house. He was so proud to show it off, which is gratifying to see.”

“Headway ABI genuinely cares about its mission of “Empower to Achieve” and I get to witness this mission being completed in individuals’ lives every day. I love being a part of a company that goes above and beyond for its participants.”

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Located on the Gold Coast, we’re a not-for-profit providing expert rehabilitation and specialist housing for those with an ABI.

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