Undercover Recruitment – Meet Josh – Aboriginal Foster Care Social Worker

Taylorcare Recruitment recently placed Josh into a job in social work in an NGO in Western Sydney within Foster Care. Learn more about Josh and his new role below.  1. How is your new role going? My new role is going well. I am in a very professional setting working with an awesome team. I’m enjoying being in a full-time role with salary packaging benefits and I plan on staying in this role.When I first started my role, I was basically thrown in the deep end so to speak, which I didn’t mind because I like challenges. From day one it was full-on, straight on the ground working and for the first week it was intense because of the complexity of some of my caseload. One thing about my current role is that I’m always learning new things and it’s sometimes challenging adjusting to a new work place process. In saying that I have a great support network around me, and I’m surrounded by people with many years’ experience in Child Protection who are always willing to share information with me when I require it.Being Aboriginal myself, I am related to many people all over NSW and some interstate. One of the hardest challenges is when someone closely related passes away and when I say closely related it could be a 3rd or 4th Cousin. If it is not a brother or sister or a 1st cousin, it can be difficult having to take time off work to attend to what our people call “Sorry Business” especially if an organization is not aware of this. This is why I think more organizations in this industry should be more trained and aware of Aboriginal & TSI Culture, to make the work place more culturally appropriate. By doing this organizations will attract more Aboriginal and TSI Employees who will be drawn to work with them.2. Tell us about your story and how you got into social work?I was Born and Raised in a country town called Armidale in NSW. I grew up in a Housing Commission Area West of Armidale and witnessing Drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, crime and People with Mental Health Problems was quite common growing up as a child. These types of behaviours are so to say “Normal” for Aboriginal People and Other Non-Aboriginal People who live in these low socio-economic areas throughout Australia. Now that I’m an Adult and I’ve completed numerous training and certificates including 2 Diplomas in Social Work and now 4 Years’ experience in this industry, I look back and realize that these behaviours are not normal, and something is truly wrong with them. The truth is that it’s the outcome of Trauma which has been inflicted upon a person which has been passed down from generation to generation, the term being Trans Generational Trauma. People who are suffering from trans generational trauma are more vulnerable to abuse, Drugs and Alcohol, and they do develop mental health problems and tend to be incarcerated throughout their lives. I feel it’s a duty of care for myself to work in an industry that focusses on fixing the suffering and outcomes of people who have this  imprint from the destruction of Trans Generational Trauma and that’s what drives me to work in this area,  in particular Child Protection because Children are our future and are the most vulnerable group in our society. I am also a Father of 3 and my Children are my motivation to strive and be the best version of myself I can be.4.  What advice would you like to give to other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders wanting to get into a career in social work like you have done? Social work is in need of more Aboriginal and TSI workers. It’s a rewarding industry but can also be challenging depending your role and my advice for anyone who wants to pursue a career in Social Work is to be Resilient, stay focused on your goals and never give up. Always keep in mind that you are doing the right thing and that is helping people to try to better their lives. Personally, I think Aboriginal & TSI people can make excellent Social Workers because they know exactly what their people are going through, what they are suffering from and the everyday challenges that they face.5.   Would you recommend TaylorCare recruitment to others looking for a job? Yes, I would defiantly recommend Taylor Recruitment as first point of contact for anyone looking for a role in Social Work. The process was nice and easy, and the staff were very friendly and professional. They aligned my qualifications with roles which were relevant to me quickly.We love meeting our jobseekers in their new roles growing and striving despite the challenges they face in their roles. If your looking for a new role contact our team today on 02 98104498 or email office@taylorcare.com.au.Regsiter as a jobseeker with Taylorcare Recruitment here.