Heidi always knew she’d end up helping people for a living. As far as intrinsic desires go, helping was one she discovered when she was very young, and by the end of year 12, she was more than ready to work her natural aptitude into a viable career. Young, timid, and with a self-confessed fondness for her comfort zone, Heidi jumped straight into a Certificate III in Individual Support and a corresponding traineeship.

Immersed in the personal lives of customers, it was no surprise that Heidi thrived. Slowly but surely, she was coaxed from her shell. She credits her early customers with a great deal of her development. Now, several years into her career in disability supports, nothing has changed.

“Working as a Lifestyle Attendant taught me that getting to know new people can lead to amazing opportunities for personal growth. Our customers have a wealth of knowledge and they’re simply wonderful to work with. I feel very lucky to have worked with them.”

Natural people skills and diligence in applying learnings from her training quickly cemented Heidi as an exemplary Lifestyle Attendant. Of course, she received a lot of great feedback from customers on many aspects of her supports.

Heidi doesn’t have a single key highlight from her time as a Lifestyle Attendant. For her, it’s more about the small things.

“Anything that carried meaning for a customer gave me a tonne of fulfilment, no matter how seemingly small the gesture. Something that has really stuck with me is the simple appreciation I would get from customers. They would thank me for simply taking the time to listen to them.”

It’s this insight that gives Heidi valuable perspective. You see, Lifestyle Attendants are out in the community working with customers, so they really understand what Enhanced Lifestyles is all about from a service perspective.

While developing our brand narrative, we really wanted to nail down what makes us unique. We needed input and opinions from customers, members, and staff. When we invited staff, Heidi jumped at the chance to attend our collaborative workshops and help shape the campaign.

Heidi’s input on what excites customers about our unique approach to supports helped lay the foundation for our brand promise. To see how this input influenced our brand promise and ad campaign (starring customers and staff!), click here.

 

A supported trajectory

After four years as a Lifestyle Attendant and completing a Diploma of Community Services, Heidi was ready for something new. She wanted to broaden her skillset and assume a different role in customers’ support networks.

In what can only be described as perfect timing, Head Office needed a new Customer Relations Officer (CRO).

“When I saw the CRO role advertised internally, I knew it was meant to be!”

Heidi applied and the rest is history. Since starting in the new role, she’s felt fully supported by her team and the broader organisation.

“Enhanced Lifestyles provide such a supportive, team-based work environment. It’s nice to feel welcome and be excited to come to work every day!”

To service their caseload, a CRO needs to have a good knowledge of customer-centred supports. Not only must they identify new and changing needs, they must also understand how best to communicate with a customer. Luckily, Heidi’s time as a Lifestyle Attendant has prepared her especially well for this part of the job.

“I believe that working as an Lifestyle Attendant has taught me excellent rapport-building skills which enables me to really person-centre my supports and approaches, especially with topics that may seem daunting to some.”

 

A piece of advice

By now, it goes without saying that Heidi has high praise for the opportunities and growth provided by the Lifestyle Attendant role at Enhanced Lifestyles. For anyone on the fence about taking the leap into a similar role, Heidi has some advice.

“Just do it! If you’re empathetic and passionate about helping others, it’s the perfect opportunity to use those traits. It’s amazing how much of a difference we can make just by bringing a positive spirit and taking the time to get to know customers.”

 

A bright future

Heidi doesn’t have a long-term career goal in mind. Instead, she’s laser-focused on the now – on providing the best service, getting to know our customers, and learning all that she can. Rather than an ideal job title, she hopes to always be helping others, no matter where life takes her.

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Take the next step in your career with a rewarding, collaborative, and fun role at Enhanced Lifestyles! Check out our current vacancies and apply here.