Social worker Mel Walters loves making a difference for clients every day.
Not only does the Ravenhall Bolton Clarke employee help avert family crisis, but she also helps people access secure housing, travels up to 300 kilometres a day to make visits and helps people navigate the aged care system.
Speaking ahead of Aged Care Employee Day on August 7, Mel said the satisfaction of helping people access services and get back on their feet is all in a day’s work.
“I often liaise with clients who have no family who can help them, so I assist them to gain the additional supports they need,” she said.
“I’ve been a social worker for over 40 years in a community setting and I love the variety, the privilege of hearing peoples’ stories and working with them to put in place preventative methods based on their preferences.
“Social workers are there to work with people – everyone is equal and entitled to respect and care.”
Mel’s duties include helping people make decisions now about future care planning, so their wishes are understood if their needs change.
“I also help make informed choices about their accommodation, elder abuse, family conflict, deal with risk management surrounding the clients’ safety at home and develop networks to find creative solutions to peoples’ issues identified at the time,” she said.
To keep clients safe and connected, Mel continued with phone consultations during COVID-19 restrictions.
“I also linked people into projects in the west like a telephone chat program,” she said.
She said helping people with social issues like adequate housing in turn supports their overall health and wellbeing.
“I had a gentleman who was living in a community housing complex which had security risks for him, and he had undergone chemotherapy and treatment for cancer,” she said.
“He was completely alone in the world and we worked with him to relocate to a more secure form of shared accommodation which met his needs. Within three months he went into remission and his wellbeing was greatly improved.”
Mel has worked at Bolton Clarke for three years, supporting clients in the west including Melton, Werribee and Altona Meadows.
“What do I love about the westies? The diversity,” she said.
“We have lots of cultural groups and immigrants and mostly clients haven’t been into contact with services before. You are really making a difference.”
