Wanslea is incredibly supportive of staff wanting to study to further their education and careers. Going back to study to gain my Chartered Accountant qualification had been on my career “bucket list” for a while. I could see how it would benefit my role with Wanslea and I had discussed it with my manager, but it was after talking to the CFO that I took the plunge and enrolled.

On top of my normal leave entitlements, I have received study leave and financial support with my course fees. Our CEO has always shown interest in my progression through my studies as well as celebrating my success with each subject passed. Her encouragement has been very affirming to why I went back to study and is also very motivating to continue to do well.

I really enjoy the work I do with Wanslea. It’s a great feeling knowing that I am indirectly helping my colleagues making a real difference in people’s lives and working with a not for profit has been rewarding for me on so many levels. I have been given tasks with greater responsibility as a direct result of the studies I have undertaken which has led to increased confidence in my own abilities at work and with what I am capable of.

Wanslea has also provided incredibly flexible working arrangements allowing me to meet the needs of both the business and my family’s commitments. I have been able to work in my chosen profession as well as attend many school activities. The added benefits of working from home and purchasing extra leave enable me to successfully manage school holiday periods.

Wanslea has enabled me to develop professionally within my career whilst concurrently raising my own family.  It has offered me the flexibility to do this without fuss or making extraordinary allowances for me. It’s one of the ways Wanslea facilitates a genuine work life balance that supports women.

I commenced working in child care at the age of 15. My family and I had just relocated from Kalgoorlie and my parents had bought a child care centre. Many of the children had developmental delays, behaviour concerns and there were several children with disabilities. Kate from Inclusion Support would visit regularly and provide strategies to include the children and manage the negative behaviours. Kate would pull up in her red sports car, leopard print shoes and offer advice and support in caring for the children. We all felt so capable after a visit from Kate.

Fast forward to 2016 and I was lecturing in Early Childhood Education and Care. I had been eagerly looking for employment in Mandurah and when I saw the Coordinator position for Inclusion Support Program advertised, I applied. As luck would have it I landed two interviews on the same day. When I heard laughter from the kitchen whilst I was in my interview with Wanslea, I knew that this was the right path.

I have since had the opportunity to establish the in home care support agency and the Early Childhood Approach (ECA) program. There have been many challenges and an abundance of learning and support from my managers and the Wanslea team. The investment into my learning and career progression whilst I’ve been at Wanslea has allowed me the opportunity to complete a Master’s in Business Administration and work full time as Operations Manager for ECA. The training fund has reduced some of the financial burden and where possible, I have allocated some study time within my working week.

I’m grateful to work at Wanslea as I’m guided by knowledgeable leaders in my work and am supported to be the best I can be. My work hours can be flexible so I can do school pickups or work from home if needed. The Bindjareb Office has a great buzz with eight Wanslea programs being delivered and a team of professionals all working to support children and families. 

I’ve been at Wanslea for nearly five years and my personal and professional growth has been immense and cannot wait to see what the next five years bring.

When I was 17, I worked casually at an independent kindergarten. I was enrolled in business school at the time, but I found myself really enjoying being part of a small team, building relationships within my local community and being able to express my creative side with children, so I decided to change degrees and start my Certificate 3 at Tafe in Children’s Services. Midway through my degree, I applied to work at Wanslea. I was still in the ‘learning’ stages of my Certificate 3 and was nervous about only having limited experience working in Kindy. 

That was 11 years ago. Since then, I have matured and gained confidence not just professionally but personally. Wanslea has invested in training for me to work on my leadership skills, develop my knowledge of the industry and learn on the job. I have been given amazing opportunities to be the Assistant Coordinator and now the Centre Coordinator. I remember my first year working at Wanslea I when I wanted to be a Service Manager “one day”. I just needed to work hard and put my hand up to opportunities that came my way to build that dream.

I go to work every day feeling valued, not just by my colleagues, but by my families, children and community. I know the work I do is important and it’s helping families. I really try to keep this as the focus of all my decision making. I always consider how my actions can help families and children in my care and how I can do better.

What I love about working at Wanslea is the diverse people I work with throughout the whole organisation, the appreciation Wanslea shows towards you as an employee and the actionable ways they are working towards reconciliation and closing the gap for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island community. 

Wanslea has so many pathways, there is always room to grow and they support you along your journey. If you show integrity, passion and determination you will go far.

When I applied for a job at Wanslea, I was actively looking for a family flexible working arrangement. I had worked in child care before and it was community-based; however, they weren’t flexible.

Wanslea was different. They were professional, offered a range of services the staff were approachable and warm. After I accepted a position at Wanslea, my family grew stronger because I had the flexibility for them to come first. My manager at the time saw my strengths and wanted more for me. She could see how quickly I had grown and adapted in my role and suggested that I apply for a position as a receptionist with the Corporate Services team. My manager saw this as a way I could further grow my career and use my ability to relate and work with a range of people. 

The amount of support my team and the staff members at the office provide is unlike any other job I’ve had. We all talk and support each other from work, to our children and home lives, we all help each other out.

I now feel happy coming to work and very fulfilled in my role. I love being in touch with people and being able to develop my customer service skills. I like making people feel happy when they come to the office, it makes me feel connected.

Before starting with Wanslea I’d had a couple of years doing project work while my children were under school age. In making the decision to go back to more direct client work I was looking for an employer that would be family friendly and understanding of the role of dads too. 

I knew of Wanslea by reputation. Whilst working with another organisation and in partnership with Wanslea I got to know some of the staff and why they worked with Wanslea. I really respected how principled they were.

In my 10 years with Wanslea I’ve had a number of roles and worked alongside staff from different programs and from across professions. Not only have I grown in appreciation for the different skills, knowledge and experience that they bring, I’ve really come to respect what motivates people within the work that they do.

Even whilst doing the most complex and challenging work, the staff never take themselves so seriously that they can’t share a story, smile or a laugh that might just bring some enjoyment or lighten the moment. It builds our capacity for resilience as a team and individually.

What I like most about working at Wanslea is that everyone highly values relationships. This is evident every day in the interactions amongst staff, as well as between them, clients and other stakeholders. In my time with Wanslea I’ve been able to hear stories from generations of Wanslea clients that have highlighted this. It feels like I’m part of a legacy.

After working as a teacher in a remote town, I decided to relocate to Kalgoorlie. I discovered Wanslea as I was looking for a new challenge in a role where I could continue working with children and families. 

Leaving the education system and taking a role in a non-government organisation, I was concerned about funding cycles and the impact this might have on my job security, but I chose to accept the role offered to me by Wanslea over other organisations as the Wanslea mission, vision and values strongly resonate with me and my own personal values. I was particularly drawn to the Wanslea vision around leadership as I felt this would open up opportunities for me that I could not experience in the Education sector. 

My experiences of working for Wanslea have been very positive and they have supported both my professional and personal growth. I have been able to develop my professional career through gaining promotions and further qualifications. I began work as a part-time facilitator and now I am the manager in one of our regional offices. Each role I have held has helped me to grow and develop new skills. The management team at Wanslea have nurtured my desire to become a leader in the organisation and under their guidance, I have grown more confident in my abilities. There is a strong culture of lifelong learning at all levels in the organisation.

I admire the strong leadership team and the support they offer to all staff. The ‘One Wanslea’ approach ensures that regional offices feel as much a part of the organisation as the metro teams. Even in such a large organisation, it feels like a family. Programs and teams are encouraged to share and collaborate with each other across regions. 

What really surprised me at Wanslea is the deep respect that the organisation has for the differences in the communities that we live and work in, with a strong recognition that there is no ‘one size fits all’ for any community. I am very passionate about working to change things for the better in my community. I love that the work I do makes a real difference to the lives of families and children.

When I was studying at TAFE, I was placed in Wanslea's Early learning centres in Joondanna to complete my supervised working hours. I worked there for over four years, before moving to Brisbane to complete my studies. When I realised how much I missed Perth and the Wanslea centre where I felt I had a sense of belonging in the community, I transferred my studies to Perth and I was lucky to be able to be offered a part-time job at the Joondanna centre again.

During my university studies, the Centre Coordinator and staff supported me a lot, especially when I completed my Social Science degree as I was able to complete my placement with Wanslea in the Mental Health team. This opportunity opened many doors for me to learn about Wanslea Family Services, the different programs that Wanslea offers for children and families in the community. After completing my degree, I started working in the Out of Home Care (OHC) program as a Family Support Worker (FSW) and put into practice all the knowledge I gained during my studies. 

I feel proud to work at Wanslea. The roles I’ve had helped me understand my passion for working with children and the positive impact I want to provide in children and families' lives. My role in child care gave me a sense of accomplishment knowing the impact I can have on developing humans. Working as a Family Support Worker, I know I am playing an essential role in supporting foster carers to provide the best outcome for children who are placed under their care. Even though I am not working directly with children, by providing support for carers, I can positively impact those in their care.

Wanslea has always supported me to develop my career professionally. I believe they have a culture of supporting their staff, which is an excellent quality that not many organisations offer to employees. It gives me a sense of inclusion in the organisation and makes me feel valued for my attributes and what I can offer to Wanslea. The people that I work with value my input and acknowledge my background. They have never made me feel different and always are very inclusive, and this gives me a sense of belonging to the team.

Before beginning my career at Wanslea, I was working in the Community Services sector. I have a very strong passion to support and help my community and I was already fostering children, so when I saw the job at Wanslea and started to learn more about them, I became interested in what they do. 

There were a lot of Aboriginal children going into care and I wanted to be proactive to make changes for my people. Being a Foster Carer certainly gave me an appetite to help more children and I knew I needed to learn and work my way up in the industry to influence positive change for my people. I knew I’d eventually be able to contribute and make a difference that would benefit Aboriginal children in care.

Wanslea is a very child-focused organisation and the depth of knowledge of the staff across the organisation very vast. I enjoy the colleagues I work with, the desire of everyone to make a real difference, the strong leadership, systems and the overall feel of the organisation.

As an Aboriginal staff member, I have always been supported and encouraged to build my skills, knowledge and abilities. The work I do is challenging but very rewarding and has given me a greater understanding and a better insight into policies and children’s traumas and challenges.