Latest / Sarah Knows Support Workers / How We Made It to 100 Episodes: Support Workers, NDIS Stories and Real Sector Conversations

Transcript

How We Made It to 100 Episodes: Support Workers, NDIS Stories and Real Sector Conversations · Sarah Knows Support Workers

• 0:00
  Welcome back to Sarah. No support workers and today is
• 0:03
  a very special and exciting episode because they we have
• 0:07
  made it to 100 episodes. Yes, 100 episodes.
• 0:11
  Yes, I'm still pinching myself up over this, right?
• 0:13
  Because however, how did we get here?
• 0:16
  And honestly, this podcast did not start with some sort of like
• 0:19
  fancy master plan. There was like, there's no
• 0:22
  business structure to be honest about this.
• 0:25
  And I didn't see it with some sort of like whiteboard or ring
• 0:28
  light or the five years strategy.
• 0:31
  I just kept turning up. And this podcast started because
• 0:34
  I generally enjoy talking about the sector and I enjoy talking
• 0:37
  about support workers and I I like enjoy hearing people's
• 0:41
  stories and I love asking questions like, how the hell did
• 0:45
  you get here? What did you learn?
• 0:47
  Where did it all go wrong and what would you do differently
• 0:50
  and what do you wish people understood?
• 0:52
  I think that's why we've made it to 100 episodes, because it was
• 0:57
  never forced. It has purely become out of
• 0:59
  enjoyment. And I am nosy and I'm curious.
• 1:03
  Look, I'll let you pick which one, but it comes from wanting
• 1:07
  to give people the content that actually makes sense in this
• 1:10
  real world. And I'm not talking like the
• 1:12
  like, you know, like the Polish corporate crap.
• 1:15
  I'm talking everything is fine content because let's like,
• 1:19
  let's be real here in the NDIS and aged care space, everything
• 1:24
  is not always fine. And support work can be
• 1:27
  beautiful and I've loved every moment of being a support
• 1:29
  worker. It can be meaningful.
• 1:31
  It can change somebody's day, somebody's week, and sometimes
• 1:35
  their whole entire life. And it can be confusing,
• 1:38
  exhausting, emotional and very messy in between.
• 1:42
  And that's why this podcast exists because podcasts like
• 1:46
  Sereno Support Workers didn't exist for support workers.
• 1:49
  Not much did. And I would like to talk to all
• 1:53
  support workers about the real stuff, the real stuff that
• 1:56
  support workers, providers, participants, families and
• 1:59
  people in this sector actually think about not just what like,
• 2:02
  you know, what looks good on a flyer or some, you know,
• 2:05
  Instagram or TikTok reel it more depth.
• 2:09
  Now. One of the biggest reasons why I
• 2:10
  did start the podcast was because we all learn differently
• 2:14
  and we communicate differently. And I think it is my inner
• 2:18
  dyslexic knowing that we need to serve all people's types of how
• 2:22
  they learn and how they communicate to our support
• 2:25
  workers. Because I know that some support
• 2:27
  workers, they, they love to read, some like to watch videos.
• 2:30
  Some people like to listen, like they'll listen to the podcast,
• 2:33
  whether they're cleaning, cooking, running, God,
• 2:36
  everything in between. Like you guys are doing some
• 2:38
  wild stuff while listening to this podcast and go you Boo.
• 2:42
  It's relatable. But some people need to need
• 2:45
  things explained slowly, like I Some people need more examples.
• 2:51
  Some people need stories. Some people need to hear someone
• 2:54
  say, hey, you're not the only one that feels this way.
• 2:57
  And as a support worker, we should already understand that
• 3:00
  because communication has never been one-size-fits-all.
• 3:03
  Some people communicate with words, some people communicate
• 3:06
  with body language. Some people use visuals, some
• 3:09
  use devices, some people use behaviour, some are using their
• 3:12
  facial expressions. And some just need the time or,
• 3:15
  you know, wanted. Some people just need to trust.
• 3:18
  Some people need someone to sit them and actually listen and
• 3:23
  another way of sharing information, another way to
• 3:26
  connect with people and another way to make this sector feel a
• 3:28
  little less lonely for our support workers.
• 3:31
  And to be honest, I don't think I realized how big 100 episodes
• 3:35
  actually was. I was downplaying it, to be
• 3:37
  honest with you because I was maybe I was just like, you know,
• 3:40
  thank you, Next, next. But it wasn't until I was
• 3:43
  podcasting with a fella probably 10 episodes ago, if you want to
• 3:47
  go back and have a look. But he was saying to me that
• 3:51
  most people will do 3 and quit. Some people get to 20 and get
• 3:55
  exhausted. And Sarah, you're 80 in.
• 3:58
  And I didn't like, yeah, like, I really didn't realize it.
• 4:03
  That's when I probably actually stopped and thought about it and
• 4:06
  thought, oh, hang on, 100 episodes is actually a lot.
• 4:08
  That is a lot of conversation. It's like 100 conversations, 100
• 4:12
  moments of learning and a hundred chances to hear from
• 4:15
  people in the sector. 100 times I have shown up, even when,
• 4:18
  like, my life had been chaotic and messy and loud and
• 4:22
  everything in between. And I, I downplayed it, to be
• 4:26
  honest with you, because the podcast has always been fun.
• 4:29
  And I, I generally do mean that I am enjoying it because I've
• 4:33
  had so much fun meeting new people, hearing stories,
• 4:36
  learning things that I never thought I would learn and
• 4:38
  exploring the NDIS through so many different lenses.
• 4:41
  Because that's what makes this set so interesting is because
• 4:46
  everyone sees the NDIS in a completely different way.
• 4:48
  Like to support workers, they see it a different way.
• 4:51
  You got providers see it, another participants see it in a
• 4:54
  completely different, different lens and ask for different
• 4:56
  things. And I'm OK with that.
• 4:57
  But you know, like even business owners, they are seeing in a
• 5:01
  different lens, families are seeing in a different way.
• 5:03
  And then the compliance people, of course, they are definitely
• 5:06
  going to see it a different way. And through this podcast, I have
• 5:10
  been able to sit in the middle of these conversations, say, OK,
• 5:13
  what can we learn here? And honestly, it has been one of
• 5:16
  the biggest gifts. The podcast has opened doors
• 5:18
  that I've never expected, and it has given me opportunities to
• 5:22
  meet with people that I never thought I would ever meet with
• 5:24
  or have conversations with, Getting invited to events that I
• 5:27
  never thought I would go to or it has helped me build
• 5:31
  relationships in this sector. And I've been able to network.
• 5:33
  And then that's like, I think, yeah, I'm a networker by trade,
• 5:36
  OK? I'm a matchmaking networker by
• 5:38
  trade. And I have been able to network
• 5:40
  people to other organizations and conversations in between.
• 5:44
  And I have loved it. And to be honest, it has served
• 5:48
  me well because it's also helped me grow my career.
• 5:51
  It has helped me step into rooms that I thought that I would
• 5:54
  never be seen in or did I think that I actually belonged in.
• 5:58
  And now I'm like a bit more confident these days, of course,
• 6:01
  because now I'm like, yeah, I belong here.
• 6:03
  Move over. I brought the mic and that has
• 6:07
  been really special because the my confidence has grown every
• 6:10
  episode that I have done. And the best part about all of
• 6:13
  this has always been the people, the guests conversations, the
• 6:17
  support messages, like the messages from support workers,
• 6:20
  providers sharing their stories and people who said, I have
• 6:23
  listened to your podcast and it helped me understand what is
• 6:26
  going on in the NDIS. Understanding job roles that
• 6:29
  different people have and the companies that they run and all
• 6:32
  the person behind the company. And that's the good stuff.
• 6:35
  That's why I kept going because the podcast has never been about
• 6:40
  me talking, even though, yes, I do love a good chitchat.
• 6:43
  And it has been a way to create a space for people in this
• 6:46
  sector to talk, learn, laugh, reflect and say, oh wow, I
• 6:51
  needed to hear that. But I will also want to be
• 6:54
  honest, if I'm reflecting right now, times are really hard in
• 6:57
  the NDIS. And I mean like they are really
• 7:00
  are. They are things are so
• 7:01
  challenging, They are so different.
• 7:03
  They are moving in ways that they never used to.
• 7:06
  The work five years ago may not work now.
• 7:10
  Providers used to rely on may not be getting enough anymore,
• 7:13
  and support workers understanding the system may be
• 7:16
  shifting. Participants of family are
• 7:18
  trying their very best to understand what changes mean for
• 7:21
  them. So we're all moving, we're all
• 7:25
  trying to adapt together and we're all all having to ask
• 7:28
  better questions. We've all learned, we've
• 7:30
  unlearned and sometimes we've had to take a deep breath in and
• 7:34
  go, okay, what now? And I think that's why this
• 7:37
  podcast, this podcast has been successful and it still matters
• 7:41
  the because in hard times, people need real conversations,
• 7:44
  not panic, not fluff, no corporate fruit salad word crap
• 7:48
  in between, no just real conversations.
• 7:51
  People need to talk about the challenges, what is changing.
• 7:54
  People need to talk about support workers and need to know
• 7:57
  they need to talk about what providers are dealing with.
• 8:00
  We need to talk about how our participants are served, quality
• 8:04
  supports and the choices that they got and what person LED
• 8:08
  actually looks like. We need to talk about safety,
• 8:11
  communication, quality, burnout, leadership, the human side of
• 8:15
  the sector. Because behind every reform,
• 8:18
  every rule, every policy, every funding decision, every business
• 8:22
  decision, there are people. And that's why I never want us
• 8:26
  to forget that. So yes, 100 episodes is a
• 8:29
  milestone, but it's also a reminder we have a hundred
• 8:32
  chances to listen, 100 chances to learn, and a hundred chances
• 8:35
  to bring people to the conversation.
• 8:37
  And now more than ever, we need to keep doing that because the
• 8:42
  sector is changing and we have to change with it.
• 8:45
  But what we can't do without losing the heart of why we're
• 8:49
  all here. And that is good support, real
• 8:51
  support, save, support, better conversations and people that
• 8:55
  actually feel seen. And I want to thank you.
• 8:58
  Thank you all to every person that has listened.
• 9:01
  Thank you all to every guest that has trusted me with their
• 9:03
  story. Thank you all to every support
• 9:06
  worker who shared an episode. And thank you to every person
• 9:09
  who has watched a clipped like to post, send me a message or
• 9:13
  told somebody about the podcast. You are the reason why this
• 9:16
  little podcast somehow has made it to 100 episodes.
• 9:22
  And I know 100 episodes for some people might not sound like
• 9:25
  something that is massive to people, but to me, it feels big.
• 9:29
  It means that I didn't quit. It means that I kept showing out
• 9:33
  even when it was hard, even when I was tired, and even when I had
• 9:37
  no idea if people were even listening, to be honest.
• 9:39
  And my tech went multiple times. I've lost a laptop.
• 9:43
  I have lost a tablet. I have gone through multiple
• 9:46
  speakers. Yeah.
• 9:49
  And at times I had been really nervous interviewing some
• 9:52
  people. And my life also at times was
• 9:55
  really busy, even when I had a million things on.
• 9:58
  And I just kept going. And sometimes that's the whole
• 10:01
  lesson. You don't need to be perfect all
• 10:03
  the time. You need to care enough to keep
• 10:06
  showing up. Apply to podcasting, apply to
• 10:08
  business, apply to support work, apply to the sector.
• 10:11
  But we all just need to keep showing up, doing better.
• 10:15
  Well, 100 episodes might not. 100 episodes to me is not a look
• 10:18
  at me moment. It is 100 episodes of us
• 10:21
  building together something really special because this
• 10:24
  podcast has become its own little community.
• 10:27
  It has a place of real voices, a place of real sector stories, a
• 10:31
  place where support workers, I hope you all feel seen here.
• 10:35
  A place where providers get to share what they're building.
• 10:37
  A place where we get to talk about big changes and the
• 10:40
  heartbeats, the wins, the lessons, the losses, the
• 10:43
  absolute chaos that we have been working in.
• 10:46
  So today's episode is Sean and Sweet.
• 10:48
  No big guess, no big topic, no like juicy breakdowns.
• 10:52
  I've got for you. Just me saying thank you.
• 10:55
  Thank you for helping Sarah. No support workers get to 100
• 10:58
  episodes. And honestly, I'm just getting
• 11:00
  started. There are more stories to be
• 11:02
  heard out there, more conversations to be had and more
• 11:05
  support workers to back, more providers to learn from, more
• 11:09
  changes to unpack and more moments that we can say, OK,
• 11:13
  that doesn't actually mean for the people on the ground.
• 11:17
  That actually isn't it. That's where the heart is, with
• 11:20
  the people doing the work, the people giving up giving the
• 11:23
  support, and the people receiving the support, the
• 11:25
  people trying to make this sector better.
• 11:28
  One shift, one conversation, one choice and one connection at a
• 11:32
  time. So cheers to 100 episodes.
• 11:35
  Cheers to the awesome guests that I have, cheers to the
• 11:38
  listeners, cheers to the support workers, cheers to the people
• 11:41
  who care enough to keep learning, and cheers to
• 11:43
  everybody who's been a part of this journey so far.
• 11:46
  So from me to you, thank you. And as always, keep showing up,
• 11:52
  keep asking questions, keep learning, keep bringing all the
• 11:54
  good support into this world because support work really does
• 11:58
  matter. And so do you.
• 12:00
  I'll see you in the next episodes.