Working with the Senior Management and People & Culture Teams on the design and implementation of activities on cultural change, workforce diversity, equity & inclusion, and gender initiatives to build organisational capability and employee engagement.

• Delivering high level generalist social work services across Roma acute inpatient, subacute inpatient, outpatient, and outreach services. • Carrying a dynamic and diverse caseload including: older persons, families, domestic violence, chronic illness, health and capacity changes, disability, and other barriers to accessing healthcare or discharging from inpatient or emergency department admissions.• Service delivery development and stakeholder engagement to re-establish a role which had been vacant for a significant time period.• Collaborate with other district social workers to achieve an inclusive team culture, to improve internally consistent working practices, and create equitable access to social work services across the district.• Identify and undertake Quality Improvement activities, and maintain QI register.• Liaise with interdisciplinary colleagues to provide education and consultation in particular regarding patient rights, social justice and equity in service delivery, and occasions of family conflict in care and discharge planning or adjusting to changed health statuses.• Work appropriately within legislative frameworks, reporting requirements, and with varied stakeholders to support patient-centred outcomes, e.g. the My Aged Care system, the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT), National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and other service providers within the local community.• Assisting management with role design, recruitment, and succession planning for the hospital social work team.• Supervising and supporting more junior social workers.• Proactive engagement with continuing professional development.

• Coordinated recovery-oriented treatment planning, therapeutic interventions, and practical supports for a diverse caseload of adults with mental health issues living in the community.• Established and maintained partnerships with voluntary and involuntary consumers and their informal and formal stakeholders across public, private, and non-government sectors. • Maintained currency and high quality of practice knowledge, skills and expertise through active participation in professional development activities and practice supervision.• Applied professional knowledge and skills in assessment and clinical decision making, within a treatment team supervised by a Consultant Psychiatrist. E.g.: Psychosocial ecological assessment, monitoring mental state, building therapeutic alliance, psychosocial interventions, psychoeducation, motivational interviewing, suicide safety planning, risk formulation.• Advocated for the service choices and rights of vulnerable clients with relevant internal and external providers.• Delivered input into the development of quality improvement activities that enhance the delivery of mental health services and promote positive workplace culture. • Contributed to the clinical education of students from multidisciplinary backgrounds by identifying and delivering relevant learning and development opportunities.• Record keeping, clinical activity reporting, KPI and governance compliance, and information security using relevant information systems and procedures.

NDIS Support Coordinators work directly with NDIS participants to help implement their NDIS Plans. This involves developing a real understanding of the lifestyle choices and preferences of individual participants, and translating this into practical design and implementation of complex service packages.• Contributed to organisational work processes and team culture within an emerging and dynamic work role.• Provided education and capacity development with participants, supporting them to understand creating NDIS goals, budgeting their NDIS Plan spending across the year, and choosing and coordinating a variety of services.• Promoted inclusion and belonging within participants’ communities of choice, including mitigating or challenging environmental and social barriers.• Developed in-depth understanding of relevant procedure, policy, and legislation in order to support vulnerable people to navigate NDIS systems and exercise their rights.• Stakeholder engagement and external networking to map the landscape of quality service providers.• Compile and produce accurate internal and external reporting for multiple compliance and operational purposes, including adherence to budgets and KPIs.• Created relevant Service Agreements according to participant choice and budgets.• Planned for crisis response, harm mitigation, and responded to emerging changes to working practices due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Hybrid working for a fixed number of hours, according to the project's budget.• Collaborated with the team on project design.• Researched and selected data collection instruments.• Prepared and submitted the ethics application, and gained ethical approval.• Conducted student-participant engagement for both collaborative project design and participant recruitment.• Developed search strategies and literature searches to inform the project write-up.• Created and formatted the survey tool using the online platform Qualtrics.

I submitted a successful grant application and received an Endeavour Grant from the Australian Government to fund an overseas internship at SEDS NGO in India for my second social work placement. • Used my existing skills and knowledge of development and cross-cultural working to design my contribution to the aims of SEDS while on placement.• Designed a strategic fundraising project for the education fund based on principles of sustainability and reciprocity.• Participated in a strategic planning weekend ('SEDS Vision 2020'), aimed at ensuring that the future direction of SEDS is viable and sustainable.• Learned more about gendered and cross-cultural issues in development.• Designed and conducted a project evaluation study regarding the SEDS biogas project, to gather information to improve project efficacy and to provide marketing materials for promoting biogas and raising funds.• Taught English, science, and arts & crafts at the NGO's school to children in Grade 5, and assisting more generally with English speaking and break time supervision for children in Kindergarten to Grade 5.• Sourced and complied a directory of resources to provide ongoing lesson planning and English teaching support to form a library of resources for the teachers.• Employed copy writing skills to produce Facebook posts for SEDS to increase engagement, and articles for the university blog to promote overseas placement opportunities.• Established a program of student peer supervision with other students on overseas placement, to support learning and development and create a culture of belonging despite geographical separation.

I was awarded a University of Queensland Summer Scholarship, to carry out research with the Queensland Centre for Intellectual and Developmental Disability (QCIDD), at the Mater Research Institute-University of Queensland.I was invited to design and carry out my original research project: "What skills and knowledge are relevant for social workers in Australia aiming to advance their practice with people with intellectual disabilities?".• Actively sought learning opportunities and liaised with other research, academic, and practicing professionals to ensure the relevance and applicability of my research design.• Attended the Australasian Society for Intellectual Disability's (ASID) forum "De-differentiation for People with Intellectual Disabilities?", and produced a reflective article based upon this forum which has been published.• Worked independently to find learning opportunities to develop my research and writing skills, and made use of the supervision and support available from my project supervisors, and other QCIDD team members as appropriate.

My first social work student placement was within the new Family Wellbeing Service, an early identification and intervention program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, who have increased risk of child safety vulnerability.• Translation of academic social theories into practice. Particularly intergenerational trauma, effects of colonialism and cultural displacement, social policy and contemporary systemic issues facing Indigenous Australians.• Immersed in different ways of knowing, being, and doing from an Aboriginal cultural perspective. • Learned from direct lived experiences about discrimination, barriers to inclusion, the stolen generation and other traumas, and their ongoing effects.• Used my immersive learning to compile cultural resources which I provided to other students, and hosted other students making agency visits to our team.• Actively participated in accredited training workshops: Culturally Safe Working Practices within Child Protection, delivered by the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak; the Parents Under Pressure (PUP) ecological assessment framework.• Conducted complex psychosocial assessments, using an ecological and cultural framework.• Offered interventions including knowledge and capacity building, and family case management.• Contributed to inclusive program planning and service delivery design.• Active in stakeholder engagement, multi-agency meetings, and inter-disciplinary case conferences.• I was part of a team who project managed an inclusive and accessible school holiday program, providing a number of group activity days for families using a community development approach.• Assisted during a critical incident, planning and carrying out follow-up for the safety of the children involved.

Worked autonomously to provide individual direct support with people of varying ages and backgrounds, living with physical or intellectual disability.• Further developed my skills at employing collaborative and rights-based approaches to identifying goals, and developing support plans. • Improved my ability to support capacity development, facilitating and empowering participants to exercise agency and self-determination. • Further developed my understanding of enhancing equity, inclusion, belonging, and challenging disability discrimination and social inequalities.• Applied negotiation and mediation strategies when presented with complex situations, responding in a calm and empathetic manner to ensure all parties are respected and included. • Gained insight into case management through supporting individuals to identify and access services, such as accredited training, skills development, therapies and wellbeing, social groups, etc. • Integrated an in-depth knowledge of Human Services to improve my assessment, support capacity, and understanding of disability models. • Continued my professional development, seeking out learning and development opportunities: I completed a variety of online learning and in-person workshops to further my understanding of disability rights issues, health inequalities, use of different communication devices, different methods and levels of support, and condition-specific knowledge of relevance to my support participants.• Created and delivered training to senior and management staff regarding the use of Social Media in promotion of services, promotion of company ethos, and development of an online community to promote a culture of belonging for our socially isolated participants (see projects within 'accomplishments' section for more details).

I was employed across two programs within the DiverseAbilities Service: Community Inclusion, providing individual direct support with adults and children living with physical or intellectual disabilities; and Respite House, where I facilitated a safe and positive environment for residents, allowing respite for their primary carers. • Provided leadership and collaborative team working, according to different role requirements.• Applied creative approaches to empower service users and promote inclusion and belonging for people with diverse needs.• Employed a collaborative, person-centred approach utilising ethical principles of respect and self-determination, to assist with goal identification and support planning. • Developed advanced communication skills with people with different communication needs, including learning some Makaton and Auslan sign language.• Maintained continuous professional development, significantly enhancing my understanding of issues in equity, inclusion, belonging, and disability discrimination and social inequalities. • Undertook formal training in providing medication support, PEG feeding, and tracheostomy care, in line with legislation, policy, and principles of best practice and rights-based practice.

A fixed-term program role within a multidisciplinary community rehabilitation setting:• Worked collaboratively to deliver a Constraint Induced Movement Therapy program for individuals recovering from stroke.• Tailored the specific plans according to person-centred principles, based on self-identified lifestyle and activity goals, thus achieving meaningful outcomes.• Utilised solid interpersonal skills to build rapport, and foster a culture of inclusivity and belonging.

After the end of my Military Linguist contract, I took the opportunity to travel for several months in South America. As well as enjoying cultural, natural, and adventurous experiences, I took a Spanish language course which greatly enhanced my time in the region through better linguistic and cultural competence. Upon returning to the UK, I was mainly occupied with planning the logistics for emigration to Australia. However, I was also able to indulge my passion for the natural environment through voluntary land and habitat management work with local conservation groups (Wildlife Trusts and National Parks services).Following emigration to Australia, I resumed working within the health and human service sector.

Part-time military service alongside full-time civilian work:Developed a proactive, pragmatic, and flexible attitude to work, and developed resilience to work long hours, to work under pressure, and to rapidly adapt to new roles and demands.Demonstrated my commitment to learning and applying new skills to a high standard, continuing professional development, and striving for excellence: • I was awarded Best Recruit and Best Shot in my basic training, and Best Student on my logistics trade training.• received promotion to Lance Corporal as soon as I was eligible, and was selected for Officer training due to my leadership potential.

Linguist training, with the aim of providing linguist support to the British Army on operations in Afghanistan, in a humanitarian-style role within the Civil-Military Co-operation (CIMIC) team: • Trained to become proficient in Pashto (one of the languages of Afghanistan) during full time classroom sessions with Pashto speakers, using a specially developed curriculum.• Used my own initiative to further develop cultural competency by gaining a more thorough understanding pertinent cultural, political, historical and religious factors.• Developed skills in cross-cultural communication and interpreting between Afghan Pashto speakers and British Army personnel.Undertook a period of immersion training, living abroad in Tajikistan (a Central Asian country neighbouring Afghanistan - see 'projects'), coping with cultural isolation and a different standard of living:• spent time speaking Pashto with Afghan refugees living in Tajikistan, and gave a talk and answered questions in Pashto at a primary school;• attended an embassy function and provided interpretation between some diplomatic staff and our Afghan guests.Unable to deploy to Afghanistan due to unforeseen circumstances, I changed roles and rapidly adapted to new responsibilities:• Designed and delivered lesson and assessment packages with improved cultural and practice relevance, based on analysis of my own learning and field experiences and stakeholder collaboration. • Provided quality control of existing learning materials within a cross-cultural working environment, collaborating with appropriate colleagues to ensure accuracy, cultural appropriateness and real-world relevance of the learning materials across languages.• Supervised small teams of language tutors to meet conflicting deadlines to meet operational requirements and different stakeholder needs.

• Reviewed clinical research proposals to assess for completeness and compliance with legislation, policy, and deadlines in order to facilitate approvals.• From the clinical research protocols, identified infrastructure support needs that could be met by the research department or other hospital staff and liaised accordingly.• Provided professional, accurate, and timely correspondence to researchers and other research and clinical staff.• Employed analytical skills, accuracy, and a detail-oriented approach to comply with national legislative and policy requirements of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN) for Portfolio studies, as well as the contractual requirements for research and development services provided to a number of local NHS Trusts.

Employed under the “No Witness, No Justice” principles to reducing the numbers of ineffective criminal hearings by improving witness attendance rates. • Conducted phone assessments to identify and mitigate potential barriers to court attendance by prosecution witnesses, including referring to or signposting appropriate further support.• Provided witnesses with accurate, accessible, and timely written and verbal information regarding complex court proceedings and legal issues.• Used skills of negotiation and conflict resolution in managing and de-escalating cases of heightened emotions, such as fear, anger, severe disappointment etc. • I was selected as the witness care representative in inter-departmental progress case management meetings with lawyers and Magistrate's Court officials, communicating at a professional level and feeding back priority tasks to other team members.• Organised logistics for court attendance where necessary, and ensured compliance with deadlines and legislation.• I was nominated as a department Equality & Diversity Representative, and attended force-wide training and meetings.• I was selected as a department Lean representative, and attended training in identifying workflow efficiency savings.

Worked with a regular army unit in the UK while preparing for deployment, then deployed on a 6 month Operational Tour in Afghanistan, where we lived in austere conditions in a hostile environment with an ever-present threat of attack. This required an understanding of the Law of Armed Conflict and specific Rules of Engagement, being highly vigilant and quickly assessing risks and threats, and maintaining a high degree of personal discipline while working under extreme stress.• Worked long hours, average of 12-hour days plus on-call duties, for 7 days per week, with 2 weeks' leave.• Cross-cultural working with Afghan civilian colleagues and Gurkha military colleagues, taking the opportunity to learn a little of these languages (Dari and Nepalese) and cultures, and improving my cross-cultural working skills.• Learned a new role while under pressure: accurate control and secure storage and management of weapons equipment, with appropriate equipment care; I was proactive in seeking learning opportunities in order to carry out this role to the highest standard.• Soldiering duties: o regular guard duties from fixed stations (sangars), guarding the base from potential attacks, o monitoring and searching locally employed civilians entering and leaving the base; o occasional duties as top cover on vehicle convoys, guarding the convoys from potential attacks.

Covering maternity leave, I was part of a multidisciplinary team providing residential transitional care (rehabilitation, assessment, and future care planning) for elderly patients with a diagnosis of dementia.• Supported therapy provision within a multidisciplinary team of Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Psychology, Social Work, and Speech and Language Therapy (Speech Pathology). • Assisted with discipline-specific and holistic patient assessments, care planning, and complex discharge planning.• Carried out private home and care home suitability assessments, and post-discharge reviews.• Participated in staff development training.

On-Site Recruitment Assistant at Keane (IT company), Computer People• responding to urgent recruitment needs for IT and software development consultants within UK and USA.• assessing and filtering applications to create candidate shortlists, and organising company interviews.• I redesigned the electronic filing system for technician CVs and contact details, greatly improving the efficiency and ease with which appropriate candidates could be identified and contacted as urgent roles came up.Cadbury Schweppes, Temp IT Assistant (via Computer People recruitment agency)• creation and management of a spreadsheet database for recording logistics information from every Cadbury factory internationally.Capita IT Services, Temp Customer Service Operator, then Temp 1st Line Analyst on the IT Helpdesk, (payrolled by Computer People recruitment agency), 2003-2005 (during university holidays)• resolution of customer service issues, including escalating incomplete tasks, and negotiating with customers regarding their expectations and the obligations under Service Level Agreements (SLAs).• prioritisation of engineers' workflow tasks in compliance with individual SLAs and Capita IT Services' policies, monitoring workflow tasks to ensure completion, escalating tasks at risk of missing deadlines.• first line analysis of IT problems, providing direct resolution or assigning task to appropriate engineers at appropriate priority level;Royal Mail, Postwoman (Service Delivery), 1999-2002• sorting and delivering mail;• attention to detail;• customer service;• handling and accounting for high value items, e.g. foreign currency deliveries to banks;• working in adverse conditions, e.g. unsociable working hours, working in extreme weather conditions.