Think about a time when you received feedback that had a significant impact on your work.

Why did this have a significant impact? I received positive feedback from my supervisor regarding my attention to detail. Prior to this I had not identified this as being one of strengths and I was reluctant to accept this feedback. On reflection I identified that this may have become one of my strengths. I then took on a role which required many different steps where data needed to be recorded, this required significant attention to detail to maintain accuracy. I continued in this role in excess of two years and received positive feedback from my supervisor and other managers for my work in this area. This changed my self-belief about my work skills as previously I had identified my strengths as being my communication skills and ability to connect with people. I value my ability to connect and communicate with a diverse range of people and now I have identified and increased my skills with data entry, record keeping and attention to detail. I believe that this experience has better prepared me for a role in the sector when the NDIS is fully implemented. Feedback can be very beneficial even when you dont necessarily agree with it. Think about a time when you wish you had managed a workplace situation differently. What did you learn from

this experience? What did you learn about workplace relationships? I became aware that another team member was being bullied by one of the team. I saw the effect that this was having on the person being bullied and I did my best to support this person. I did not speak with the bully about their behavior. I continued to work with both parties and hoped that things would get better. The situation did not improve and in fact the bullying got worse and the behaviors created tension within the team. After many months the team requested support from our supervisor and senior managers to address the issue. This was a very long, drawn out, painful, and unsatisfactory process which did nothing to change the behavior. The situation did not improve until the bully left the team to take on another position. I wish that I had spoken up sooner, I wish that I had had the courage to speak directly to the bully
about their behavior. The importance of healthy and respectful workplace relationships became very evident to me during this time and I will strive to not allow this to happen again. I hope that in the future I will have the courage to speak up sooner and address any issues of bullying. Describe your preferred learning style. What does this mean for your approach to completing the Diploma? I prefer to learn by reading and discussing information, I like to summarize what I have leant, this assists me to retain the information. I like to work alone where there are no distractions however I also enjoy group discussions and watching peoples expression and body language. I rely on instinct or gut feeling quite often and use past experiences to guide my decision making. I have some concerns regarding completion of the Diploma due to the lack of face to face contact and my inability to access Yammer from home. I will request permission to go into work early so that I can utilize Yammer from my work place prior to commencing work in the mornings. I will try to arrange study time with a colleague from my office who is also doing the Diploma. I have been approved for 2 weeks leave in May and another two weeks in October this year. I plan to make good use of this time to complete work and will request assistance from others when required. The ability to use Yammer from home would improve my ability to connect with people when needed. I am committed to completing the Diploma and will take whatever action is required to ensure that I do so. From what you know about the changes to disability services in the future, what new skills and knowledge will you need? Disability services have changed a lot since I commenced work in the sector, and are currently undergoing significant and rapid change in preparation for the commencement of the NDIS.

I last provided direct support to people with disability approximately 9 years ago. In recent years it has become evident that people with disability and their families have developed higher expectations of the supports and services that they will be provided. It seems to me that people with disability have found their voice and that they are ready to embrace new experiences. This means that services will need to become far more flexible with a focus on the rights of individuals with a disability. I believe that I will need to develop enhanced knowledge of the best ways to ensure that people with disability are able to gain access to increased opportunities and experiences that the rest of the population enjoys. Whilst it is evident that people with disability in general have gained increased expectations and the ability to voice their opinions, there are still many people who will require assistance to move forward and gain an understanding of their right to expect a good life. I am happiest when seeing people gain strength and developing independence and I look forward to the challenges ahead. I will seek training opportunities and make sure that I maintain and increase my community connections. I will actively encourage community acceptance of people with disability and an understanding of the valued roles that people with disability play in our community. Comment on one of the resources provided in Yammer regarding cultural capability The First Peoples Disability Network ( Australia) paper, raises many issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability, their families and communities. It is evident that much work still needs to be done if we are to ensure that all Australians are able to fully access and make use of the opportunities offered under the NDIS. Some of these issues will also impact on people other than Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The NDIS will need to be very flexible if it is to meet the diverse needs of people living in remote areas and people from marginalized communities. The geographical disadvantages together with cultural diversity mean that the NDIS will require significant adjustment in order to meet the needs of these people. It will be very challenging for Government to find a way to overcome the significant and justified distrust of government experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their reluctance to engage with Government services. There are undoubtedly interesting times ahead and only time will tell if the right decisions are made regarding the best way to move forward.