Meet Joshua

Hello, I’m Mary! I’ve been a support worker at Nulsen for 18 years, and for the past 5 years, I’ve had the privilege of supporting Joshua and his housemates. Before joining Nulsen, I worked in childcare. As my own children grew older, I decided to pursue what I truly wanted to do, which was supporting people with disability.

One of the reasons I chose this career was to learn how to better support individuals with disability and apply those skills to caring for my son, who is autistic.

As a support worker, my main role is to ensure Joshua and his housemates are happy, comfortable, and well-cared for, whether that’s through personal care, medication, cooking, or entertainment. But what I really enjoy is going beyond the basics: taking them out for fun activities, doing arts and crafts together, and decorating the house for Halloween and Christmas! They really feel like family to me.

Joshua and his housemates are a cheeky bunch who love getting up to antics! They often break into singing and dancing when the mood strikes, which makes the house such a lively place. One of my favourite things about them is how excited they get when a support worker arrives, they’ll run straight to the door just to greet us. It’s those little moments that make this job so rewarding.

My current favourite movie is probably The Christmas Chronicles, where Kurt Russell is Santa. The boys absolutely loves that movie, so we watch it a lot together.

I’m Jean! I originally came from Africa but moved here some time ago to pursue a career where I could make a real difference in people’s lives. I started with Nulsen as a casual support worker in 2021 and transitioned to full-time about a year later.

I truly enjoy working here and supporting Joshua and his housemates. They’re wonderful people, and it’s good to know that I can provide the care and support they need to live happy, fulfilling lives.

The guys really enjoy colouring and listening to music. Joshua, in particular, has an incredible memory. He can name every song and the album it came from! Sometimes, the boys have little disagreements over what to watch on TV, and that’s when I step in to make the final call. Moments like these make me feel like the big brother of the family.

For me, the most rewarding part of this role is when the guys think of me when they’re doing something new or exciting. They’ll proudly show me their new haircuts or the artwork they’ve made while I was away. It’s such an amazing feeling to know they want to share those moments with me.

I also enjoy singing, even though I’m not the best at it! It’s always fun to sing along with Joshua when we’re in the car with the radio on. Outside of work, I love going for bike rides through beautiful parks and taking in the scenery as I pedal along.