Nine years ago Hireup client Jill had a meet and greet at a café with Brian. This was the very beginning of Brian’s support work and his first time meeting a client. “We had a lot of support for my daughter while she was growing up and as soon as we had the time, my wife and I wanted to give back,” says Brian.
Brian wasn’t sure what to expect, but attended the meeting with openness and a healthy curiosity. “I just wanted to understand what she needed and what her expectations of me were,” says Brian.
Their connection wasn’t instant. And Jill had spent some time trying to find the right support worker for her.
“I remember our conversation so clearly,” says Brian. “Jill said, I want someone who will show initiative.”
Nine years on and Brian and Jill are still working together. “What started as a working relationship has grown into a friendship, says Brian. “We do all sorts of things together from lunches to weddings - I had no idea we’d be working together and friends for this long.”
Brian and Jill work together every Saturday and the occasional weekday evening. But what does this look like?
“On a Saturday I always pick up breakfast when I’m on my way to meet Jill. Or if the weather is nice we’ll go out to a cafe. To help with her cerebral palsy we often make a trip to the gym, and together we work through her exercise program. We’re in a routine where Jill uses the same machines at the gym - I’m more there to support her from discipline to discipline,” explains Brian.
Jill’s support also involves help around the house. “I do her washing and put it out, make her bed and change the sheets, clean the kitchen, mop the floors,” says Brian. Setting expectations at a meet and greet is always important and ‘showing initiative’ is a common theme when it comes to great support worker/client relationships. “Jill clearly outlined her expectations when we met," says Brian. “If there’s a tomato or something that’s rotten in the fridge that you notice, then throw it out. Take the garbage out without being told - so now I just do everything, she doesn’t have to ask for anything - it’s just done automatically.”
When the Good Life Awards rolled around, Jill nominated Brian.
Here’s what she wrote:
“Brian is a superstar, he’s so caring and allows me to be myself. He is always getting me to push myself at the gym and the outings we spend together, whether it be lunch, movies, hospital visits or going to the museum.
I recently broke my right shoulder and spent three months in hospital. Brian came to see me on a regular basis even though he just had open heart surgery. He would get takeaway and bring it to the hospital for our lunch and would take me out on day release to help with my mental health.
He is a joker, a pain in the bum, a good bloke and I really appreciate what he has done across the last 9 years we have worked together.
There is so much more to say with little time to do so, the above are just a few things that Brian has done and this is why he deserves the nomination.”
“When Jill said ‘I’m going to nominate you for an award’, I said ‘Jill, I won’t win the award’,” says Brian.
From over 500 nominations, Brian was selected as finalist and then awarded a Hireup Good Life Award in November 2023. To celebrate his outstanding support, this recognition included a reward of $1000.
“When I won I was stoked and felt very honoured, says Brian”
“I don’t do what I do to be rewarded financially,” explains Brian. “It’s because of the joy I get out of seeing Jill and others grow and flourish and be the people that they want to be.”
