Rebecca King, Community Support Worker

What attracted me to Richmond was..."Richmond's values as they are similar to my own and the varied work - including community support, supported accommodation and respite care."

Compared to my initial expectations, my experience so far in working for Richmond..."Has exceeded my expectations. When I joined Richmond I expected most of the work to be in residential care, so I was surprised to see that a lot of the work is done in the community which I really enjoy."

What I like most about working for Richmond..."Staff are kept up to date and have the opportunity to provide feedback on changes to policies and practice."

The biggest highlight of my career at Richmond so far..."Has been that I have learned a lot from the Tangata Whaiora (consumers) we support - by listening to them and allowing them to tell their story in their own way and being able to build positive working relationships with them."

What I love about my job is..."Working in partnership and encouraging people to define their own world, goals and aspirations. We are building on people's strengths and helping them to create more satisfying lives."

A typical day might involve..."Assisting clients with preparing a budget and buying groceries, planning meals and getting them involved in cooking programmes. The support provided depends on the needs of the client."

What I value most about working for Richmond is..."Working together with other staff to improve practices and sharing ideas and knowledge. It is also great having a manager who is a Registered Nurse with a background in mental health."

I would describe the learning and development opportunities at Richmond as..."Great! In one year I have done a lot of core and strengths based practice training and I have completed the Certificate in Mental Health Support Work, with financial assistance from Richmond."