Ellie Cole's Couch - Lyndsey transcript

00:00 Growing up

Lindsey: My name is Lindsey, I'm 22 and I'm an Employment Consultant at APM.

Ellie: Where did you grow up, and what was it like growing up for you?

Lindsey: I was born in Canberra, And then my dad got a job in Melbourne, so we moved to Melbourne. It was a bit tricky. Mum and dad kept breaking up and then getting back together. So when they'd break up, we'd go back to Canberra with mum because her family's from Canberra, and then we'd move back to Melbourne when they were getting back together. So then after the third time, my dad was like “no, no more”. And then he met my stepmom. They had a baby and my stepmum's WA born and bred. But then mum just took us. We stayed in Melbourne for a little bit. And then we ended up in Canberra. But it was like Canberra, Melbourne, Canberra, Melbourne. And then Canberra, Blue Mountain, Canberra, Braidwood, which is a small country town. I only moved to Perth a year ago. My last job in Canberra, so I worked at a school for disabilities, but then I also - one of the teachers that had founded a vacation care, for video games. And so I ended up getting the role of a coordinator there because we worked together. He knew me, and he was like, “yeah, just you've got the experience in OSH (Out of School Hours Care), so just come on”. And so I did that, and I promised in my last - because it was kind of a very sporadic move for me, it was like July the 6th, I decided - I called my dad and I was like, “I think I want to move to Perth”. And by the 23rd I was in Perth.

Ellie: So what was your childhood like? You mentioned that it was a lot of instability, a lot of going to and from Melbourne. But if you think back to your childhood, what, what was that like for you?

Lindsey: I look back on my childhood and I'm so glad that I had the…it taught me so much. But I feel like I had to grow up at quite a young age in order to, I guess, yeah, make sure that my sisters were OK. So I look back on my childhood and I honestly, I've blocked a lot of it out. I remember the key points and the moving, and the school, and that kind of aspect. I have some really great friends that I've had since year 6 from when I lived in the country town that I still talk to literally every single day. So, there's so many fond memories with them. But yeah, growing up, it's like, chop and change in my brain. Like some days I remember some things, and sometimes I don't.

Ellie: Yeah.

Lindsey: So it's very back and forward.

02:18 First jobs

Ellie: Talk to me about your journey through the employment space. I've already heard you mention that you had a few different jobs before you started working at APM, but tell me about entry into the workforce for you.

Lindsey: I started working at 11.

Ellie: 11 years old?

Lindsey: Yeah, at the cafe behind the scenes, doing the dishes, and that eventually progressed into making coffees. So, then I was making coffees. So, I was at that job for a little bit, and then I moved to a pizza place, and I really liked that. That was a family. I still talk to a few people from there. And then I went into retail at 16. I started at the Cotton On Group, which was good, but I only had a Christmas casual position. And then in Canberra, the DFO outlet, they ended up doing that huge remodel, so Cotton On pretty much got kicked out, and all of the Cotton On groups got kicked out. So, they didn't have any jobs going. And then I went into OSH. So yeah, that's when I went into OSH. I started just as a regular educator, and then I worked my way up to assistant coordinator when I was 18. And that was great, but it was like very low pay. And my boyfriend at the time, his mum was a staffing officer for a school for disabilities. And she knew that I was not - well actually, sorry, going back, I was a hairdresser for four years, so there was that as well. And then we came, yeah, she said to me, “I know that you are interested in kids. Have you ever thought about working with children with disabilities? Like we're always looking for EA’s, like, always”. And I thought, oh yeah, okay, cool. So I got into there and I absolutely loved it. I, yeah, that’s what got me into studying teaching, specialising in special education. And I wouldn't have left there if I didn't have to. But then obviously I decided to move here, so that - I still love that job. I think about that place literally all the time. I'm still in contact with a few of the workers there.

Ellie: OSH.

Lindsey: Yeah.

Ellie: Is that an acronym?

Lindsey: Out of School Hours Care.

Ellie: OK.

Lindsey: Yeah. So, when I moved here, I again went into OSH. But I just kind of, I was a manager then and I just kind of, I was like, oh, it's perfect for uni, but at the same time I was just thinking, that's not what I want to do. And then APM came up, and because of my background in disability, I thought, oh, okay. I didn't even know that that was an option. Like I didn't even think about that.

04:46 Working with children with disability

Ellie: So with your time, with your time at OSH, what was it in particular about working with children that had disabilities that appealed to you and really resonated with you?

Lindsey: When I was in OSH, I did - I always like, leant more towards the children with autism and ADHD because there's such a misconception of children with autism and ADHD. I remember I had a coordinator at the time, and she just didn't understand it. They were just naughty, they were always being thrown out. They were - she just couldn't deal with them, parents were always being called to come pick them up. And I was just like, you can't do that. You need to find some common ground, some understanding. So, when I then went to work at the school for children with disabilities, I learned so many different, like I guess, tactics on how to help, and how to actually aid them and their development. So, I was able to then take that into OSH because I still was doing after school care when I worked at the school for disability. So, I'd go after if they were in need of people, I guess, like in need of staff, and just being able to help. I think for me, actually understanding, I really love psychology and I really love understanding how people's brains work, because for me, that's how I learned to deal with my diagnosis and stuff. I think it should definitely be more taught in school itself as well.

Ellie: I think if it was more taught in school, it would certainly be understood a lot more.

Lindsey: Yeah.

06:19 ADHD diagnosis journey

Ellie: There seems to me to be a lot of misunderstanding around autism, around ADHD. People are very quick to make assumptions. In your experience, being diagnosed with ADHD yourself, is that something that you agree with? Is that something that you resonate with? Is that being something that's been your experience?

Lindsey: Yeah. I got myself diagnosed after year 12 because I didn't do well in school. School's a bit different over east. Well, in ACT it's a bit different. You do high school, year 7 to 10, and then year 11 and year 12 is called college. So, you go to a completely different campus and it's essentially very much like university. You wear whatever you want. You choose the classes that you want to do on your free periods.

Ellie: Lots of freedom by the sounds of it.

Lindsey: A lot of freedom. And I struggled there because there was - I didn't create a routine. I only studied art because I was also doing my hairdressing apprenticeship. So, I didn't have to be there all the time. But all of my reports were that I couldn't sit still. I was always yelling out, I was never focused. I had to be doing 3 things at once. I was always, yeah, talking didn't stop talking. So when I decided I wanted to go to university, I was like, I need to actually figure out, what's going on. And I was fortunate enough that one of the units I had done in year 11 was psychology. So, I understood a little bit of ADHD. There was a little bit there that I was like, aha, maybe that's me, like, a little bit. And when I took it to my doctor, he was like, “yeah, definitely”. And then sent me off and I got the diagnosis. But I didn't medicate, because once I knew that and I figured out myself what I struggled with and so with my psychologist, we were able to sit down and really work through a lot of it. So, now I know that I had insomnia because I, my brain didn't stop moving. Like, it genuinely didn't stop moving. And that caused anxiety because then I wasn't sleeping, and then I didn't have routine. So, I was having meltdown after meltdown because I had no idea what I was doing, I always felt like nothing I ever did was enough. My brain was so confused all of the time. I couldn't focus on anything because I didn't have a routine. Since moving here, I've really created a routine, which is good. Every morning I get up at 5:00am, I go to the gym - that's only new. And then I go to work, and then I come home and I will go for a walk because that really helps me decompress.

08:53 Working at APM

Ellie: So how long have you been working at APM for?

Lyndsey: Since August. So not long.

Ellie: Not too long.

Lyndsey: No.

Ellie: And how have you found the transition going from, where were you prior to APM?

Lyndsey: OSH.

Ellie: From OSH into APM? How have you found that transition?

Lyndsey: I've never worked with adults before, so it's a completely different ballpark going from kids just “da da da da da,” to adults.

Ellie: Yeah.

Lindsey: It's like, that was the tricky thing for me. I understand the people, my clients, like I really understand them, and that's what I try and get them to realise is that I am listening. So, I think transitioning, I'm still doing what I was doing with kids, making sure they knew I was listening, making sure they felt heard and seen and understood. But having to then learn the, I guess, Centrelink side of things and having to - that because I've never had to really fully understand the Centrelink side of things or the Centrelink payments and whatnot. So, then trying to navigate learning that, I would say would be the trickiest thing I've found. Also the marketing, like cold calling places. I've never had to do that, but having Fran and Megan beside me, it's just, it's great experience.

Ellie: It sounds like you have an incredibly supportive work environment at APM.

Lindsey: Yeah.

Ellie: When you first walked through the doors at APM, what was that experience like for you, particularly entering an environment in a space that you've never experienced before?

Lindsey: I'd never been in a proper office before, so I was like, “wow, what is this”? It kind of looked like the uni libraries. Everyone had their heads down. It was quiet.

Ellie: A lot of participants that you meet with may be in a very similar situation, where they're coming into APM. They've never been in an office environment before. They're looking to find employment. And then they have you there as a disability employment consultant to help them out with that.

Lindsey: Yeah.

Ellie: And that must be so comforting for them as well as for you, to know that you've lived through that experience before.

Lindsey: It's definitely nice when I for example, have a brand new client who's never been with APM, they're either doing like directly registering with us, or they're having their first initial appointment. And I can be like, “oh, I'm new too. So let's work through this together. Let's go through the steps together. Sorry, I'm still learning, so this might take a little while, but the appointment's for an hour anyway”. So, we can talk, get to know each other a little bit. So, it's nice.

Ellie: Yeah, I think there's a lot of, well, we know how much strength there is in diversity and even being so young, 22 years old and working in the capacity that you do it is an asset to have as well.

Lindsey: Yeah, some people definitely see it as an asset. Some are a bit like, “oh, you're too young, like you don't know what you're doing” kind of thing. But I like to take that as a challenge, kind of thing. I'm very much like, “oh, you don't think I can do it, but I'm going to show you that I can do it.”

Ellie: You're very driven, I can tell. But also, you know, hearing people making assumptions about your age and working in APM, that's something that, you know, we're trying to work against with and making assumptions about other people when they're trying to find employment.

Lindsey: Exactly. We’re trying to eliminate barriers of people with disabilities. And it's what you say when you're marketing, like they'll say, “Oh, well, I can't take people with a disability.” And it's like, “do you understand what a disability entails?” It’s not one size fits all. I have clients that might just have some anxiety, and even then I've got double leg amputees that are more than capable of doing the job, so I don't understand why, but that's I guess, you’ve got to eliminate that barrier, because people don't know, especially some old school people, they just don't fully understand or even really want to understand, I guess.

Ellie: You know, I actually think that in itself is a disability. If you think of, you know, people with physical impairments or people with disabilities, if they're stepping into a workplace and their biggest barrier is attitudinal barriers from, you know, other employers. I've seen and met so many people who are able bodied, and they have something about their personality or they're very close minded that actually prevents them from experiencing new things.

Lindsey: Yeah.

Ellie: I suppose quite an interesting take.

13:03 Bringing ADHD experience to work

Ellie: Do you find that your lived experience and having ADHD, do you find that that has become a real strength and asset into your work in delivering, you know, top line performance for the participants come through the door?

Lindsey: Yeah, I have a few participants of mine, one of which, like, she's starting her own business, which is so lovely. But some she sometimes struggles with setting boundaries. So, I'm helping her create boundaries. So, I started off by, after all of our appointments, I'd send an email for what I want her to do before she comes in next. And now we're working up, I've printed off day-by-day planners, and we sit there in our appointments and we plan what she's going to do. And so she's starting to then create her own. That's what I really enjoy doing with a lot of my clients, helping them create a routine that's going to work for them because I think routines are the most important part. Like for anyone, even if you don’t have ADHD, having a routine, it honestly will change your life.

14:00 Explaining disability employment services

Ellie: Yeah, I agree. If you're going to describe disability employment service to anybody, how would you describe it?

Lindsey: Everyone deserves their chance in life and that's what we're here to help with. We're here to break down the barriers of working. Everyone deserves to work. Everyone deserves to live their life how they want to do it, and having a job is one of the best ways to do that. You meet new people, you get your own money. That's your money, your hard earned money. We don't just help you get a job, we help you become ready to get a job. We set up the routines. We help you work on your barriers. If somebody tells me “I am not ready to get a job,” I know that even if I get them a job, they won't turn up. So, how can we help them get ready to get a job? And I think it's yeah, we, it's such a good service that I really think people should utilise to the fullest because that's what we're there for.

Ellie: And what is it about your job that you love.

Lindsey: Helping people. I think that my, the thing that fills my cup the most is helping people and feeling like I've helped people. I just, yeah, knowing that I can be the difference that makes someone's day go from “uhh” to “yay”. It's honestly, as soon as you get someone their job, you're just like, “oh, wow yay!” And I only just got my first client, their first job.

Ellie: Congratulations!

Lindsey: Literally only just happened. I was like, “oh my God, this is so exciting.”

Ellie: How do you think working for an inclusive workplace changes the culture?

Lindsey: This is the most supportive work environment I've ever been in. And the school for disabilities that I worked at, that was amazing as well. The culture was just fantastic. But this is like next level. Everyone is there. All of the employer consultants, and all of the business managers, regional managers, they're all there to help you succeed.

Ellie: Well, thank you so much for coming in today and sharing your insights. I've loved it, and I'm really excited to see what you do next.

Lindsey: Thank you.

Ellie: Thank you.