Celebrating International Women’s Day with our incredible staff

Today we celebrate International Women’s Day, and to show our support we spoke to three awesome Northcott employees to find out a bit more about them and asked ‘what do they choose to challenge?’.

Leah Croft – Area Manager

How did you find out about, or become connected with Northcott?

Northcott was always on my radar when looking for roles in the disability industry. I have enjoyed working for both large and small organisations and from interactions with Northcott employees in my network I found that although it is a larger organisation, employees were always supported and were passionate about the people they support. Seeing this made my decision to hit apply much easier when the time came.  

What is something you are really proud to have achieved?

I used to catch a train every day to school and Uni and it would go past a building which was a disability organisation that provided life skills education and supports for customers wishing to be a part of their local community. I wanted to work there for as long as I could remember. I wanted to work there because they embodied being seen, out there in the community and valued for what they bring to society.

Since those train rides, not only did I work at and manage the services in that building, but I have worked in a number of organisations that supported people with disability to reach goals and to live their lives as independently and as fulfilling as possible. I believe in equality for all, in trying things out and learning from experiences – both positive and negative. I believe in respecting others and in seeing and appreciating the value that every single person brings.

What do you choose to challenge this year?

For me, gender should not be a defining point for a person’s ability, be it ability to complete a job they are employed for nor tasks or responsibilities in everyday life.

Angela Kardamis – Nurse Manager

What do you enjoy about working for Northcott?

Northcott’s mission of inclusiveness and seeing everyone’s potential for choice and control resonates with my core values. The nursing profession has historically been gender stereotypical with membership dominated by women but one where stigma is often attached to it. I think as an organisation our vision for the future allows the nursing team to foster innovation by using science and best practice to critically think and personalise care. By pushing boundaries (being brave; one of our core values) and tackling a gender equal world whilst it has its challenges, can be very fulfilling. I get to say I have a stable carer with a variety of career paths and am privileged to share an individual’s journey of highs and lows. For example, assisting someone to learn a new skill like learning to use a tea cup and saucer to experience a classic high tea.

What do you choose to challenge this year?

I was raised in a strict ethnic home and as a young girl I feared the idea of choosing to challenge, but I am proud of the woman I am today, because I challenged myself and pushed back. I don’t take things for granted. Kavita Ramdas said “we need women who are so strong they can be gentle, so educated they can be humble, so fierce they can be compassionate, so passionate they can be rational and so disciplined they can be free.” I would like to see a change in social perceptions of women with or without a disability – strive to continue to question stereotype thoughts and behaviours, call out bias when you see it, support people in the workforce to forge a gender equal world. I try to instil these values to my daughters and hope that one day they feel just as strongly about a gender equal world. 

Angelina Josevska – Service Manager

Why did you want to work for Northcott?

Northcott has a supportive environment and I respect that. It’s important to feel valued, to be encouraged, and to enjoy work and I get that being at Northcott. I’ve worked with people with disabilities for the majority of my career and Northcott is very good at supporting choice and control and advocating for customers.

What is something you are really proud to have achieved?

Professionally, I’m proud to have been the successful applicant for the 2020 Easterseals scholarship. However, COVID-19 had other plans so I was not able to go to America to carry out the scholarship. I was also accepted on two nationally recognised Speech Pathology Australia working parties in 2020 and Northcott was supportive of my involvement in this. Personally, I have lived overseas twice and have travelled quite a lot and that makes me proud because it has contributed to the person I am today and the skills I have adopted along the way.

What do you choose to challenge this year?

I choose to challenge the social concept that women are still not perceived as being independent in particular aspects of life. For example, we can change a tyre, we can complete home DIYs to a high standard, etc. and we can help others to do these things. I think one way society can change social aspects around independence is to further educate and upskill women so that no matter where they are, they can be safe and help themselves at times when help may not be around the corner.