Staff – the key to a great respite experience

There are a wide range of factors that are important in making a disability respite centre the place of choice for the children and young people it supports, including superior facilities, safe environment, comfortable surrounds and multiple activity options.

But according to Support Care Angels founder and director Kathy Facey, there is one area that, above all else, must be in perfect sync if everything is to fall into place to make the respite centre more like a home and to give the best possible experience to participants.

To be truly the respite house of choice, an experienced, well-rounded and empathetic staff is an essential part of the operating structure; vital in ensuring participants feel welcome, comfortable and safe.

When aged and disability support carer Kathy left her paid employment to branch out on her own and opened The Purple Dream House in Brisbane’s northern suburb of Carseldine, she knew her own experience, dedication and enthusiasm would not be enough.

She needed to build a team that covered all aspects of the organisation but would also not hesitate to jump in and help others when needed. They needed to be communicators, not just with each other but also with the participants and their families and carers.

Most importantly, Kathy wanted her staff to feel more than being part of a workplace team. Whether they worked in the respite house, in community care, in marketing, in finance, human resources, rostering, maintenance, logistics or operations, they needed to feel a part of one big Support Care Angels family.

Purple Dream House has a strong and efficient team. The roles and responsibilities of Community and Respite Operations, Human Resources, Marketing, Rostering, Maintenance/Logistic, and Finance are all streamlined. Despite each staff member’s duty, every single person in the team would not hesitate to help out with another’s tasks. Communication is key and they each hold that key seriously.

“I don’t think of my staff as staff, or my clients as clients,” Kathy said. “Instead, I think of them as family and an extension of me. In turn, the team doesn’t think of the participants only as participants. Instead, we think of our client base as an integral part of what makes The Purple Dream House so welcoming. Arriving for respite with us is like visiting an old friend, regardless of who is rostered on during that day, or how long it has been since your last booking. I want people to think of The Big Purple House as a home away from home, and the staff are the most important part of that process.”

Kathy is reluctant to single out any of her staff above others for exceptional customer service and team spirit, but she mentions her “right-hand-person” and senior manager Cathy White (pictured above) as an example.

Cathy has risen through the ranks, being with Support Care Angels since the beginning and has moved from working directly with clients to more managerial and operational duties.

But she still lends a hand on the floor of the respite house when she sees a need, listening as compassionately to clients as she does to staff.

“The clients’ care and needs is Cathy’s priority. In fact, that is the case with all our staff,” Kathy said. “I know it is this personal interaction that makes our participants so comfortable and keeps them returning.”

Support Care Angels are the Naming Sponsor for the Ask A NDIS Expert – Support Hub at the Brisbane Disability Connection Expo on 3rd and 4th March 2023 and Kathy and her dedicated team will be hosting an information booth for people who are interested in their services.

Support Care Angels are also offering an amazing Stay 2 Nights and Get One Free (for weekday stays)  at the Purple Dream House – learn more and register for this exciting offer!

In the meantime, check out their websites for more information on The Purple Dream House (http://www.purpledreamhouse.com) and Support Care Angel’s (http://www.supportcareangels.com) services. Don’t forget to register for the Brisbane Disability Connection Expo – you will not regret it!