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Two young men panning for gold with one young woman support worker helping.

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Partners for website-4

As Autism Awareness Month gets underway, local Bundoora mum Simmonne Dyson-Holland knows just how daunting it can be to put your children into the care of someone you don’t know.
Her twin sons Matthew and Richard both have a primary diagnosis of autism and a secondary diagnosis of intellectual disability. When the boys were very young, Simmonne tried a few support worker agencies, but there were limitations regarding to what extent they could meet the needs of Simmonne and her sons.
“Before the NDIS came along, we had to keep applying for assistance and funding for support workers to assist me with the boys’ after-school routine as well as with transportation and community access,” she said.
Simmonne said it was impossible for the boys to develop relationships with any of their support workers as there was a constant turnover of staff which was “disruptive to Matthew and Richard’s routine”.
<blockquote>“Building relationships was so difficult because there was no continuity of care.”</blockquote>
Matthew and Richard now have four amazing support workers, including a childhood friend, Victoria, who has grown up with the boys as her parents have known Simmonne their whole lives.
Carer Solutions founder and chief executive Jane Morrell said parents of an autistic child need to know that support is available.
“Firstly, if you suspect your child may have autism, see a GP who can refer you to additional services,” she said.
<blockquote>“Once you have a diagnosis, your priority should be making sure that both your child and you are well-supported.</blockquote>
“Should you need disability support workers, know that you can choose the right people for both your child and your family. There may be some challenges finding these workers and in many locations, you may notice that there is a considerable lack of options, due to the ongoing support worker shortage.
“However, there is a way that you can directly employ people you already know and trust, without being limited to the options that some agencies offer.”
Autism Awareness Month runs throughout April, and is focusing on raising awareness, acceptance, and inclusion surrounding autism.
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by Gerald Lynch 
NORTHERN STAR WEEKLY | APRIL 2024
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Simmonne DH_News

Two young women push two young boys on bikes.

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Louise Georgoa and kids

When Louise Wall noticed her toddler Ethan couldn&#8217;t sit still long enough to play, she assumed he was just a &#8220;very busy little boy&#8221;.
But when he could only say a few words by age two, and rarely made eye contact, the Ballarat mum started to worry.
Ethan was her first child and she didn&#8217;t know what was &#8216;normal&#8217; for a kid his age, so she confided in a friend.
&#8220;I remember the day like it was yesterday. She said, &#8216;Do you think maybe he could be autistic?'&#8221; the Ballarat mum tells 9honey.
Pushing through her shock, she researched autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and started seeing the signs she&#8217;d missed.
Ethan was diagnosed with level 3 autism in 2019, just one month shy of his third birthday.
He&#8217;s preverbal, making it unlikely he&#8217;ll ever communicate verbally, and will need support for the rest of his life. It wasn&#8217;t the news Louise was hoping for.
&#8220;The official diagnosis was hard to hear even when I knew it was coming,&#8221; she admits.
&#8220;It was then I realised that life for Ethan was going to be a very difficult and different journey. Life as I knew it was never going to be the same again.&#8221;
Navigating the NDIS after Ethan&#8217;s official diagnosis was hard and Louise&#8217;s days revolved around medical appointments and bouts of crying.
<blockquote>&#8220;Life as I knew it was never going to be the same again.&#8221;</blockquote>
Ethan requires one-on-one support with daily activities like showering, dressing, toileting, eating, so keeping him safe and happy takes serious work.
Louise struggled to adapt to their new normal, especially when he was diagnosed with an intellectual disability shortly after starting school.
The family reached breaking point in 2021, when Louise welcomed her second son, Alex.
Suddenly, she was afraid. How would she support Ethan and care for a newborn?
&#8220;What if I was unable to keep my children safe?&#8221; Louise worried.
&#8220;There have been times that I have felt completely overwhelmed and unable to do this.&#8221;
She needed help, but where do you turn for specialised disability support in Ballarat?
Support workers are hard to find in regional areas and Louise was nervous about employing a total stranger.
Then she found Carer Solutions, Australia&#8217;s only service that allows people to directly employ support workers they know and trust.
&#8220;I had no idea where to begin, so I spoke to a colleague at the Specialist School and she was quick to say, &#8216;Have my support worker Georgia, she&#8217;s fabulous,'&#8221; Louise says.
Through Carer Solutions&#8217; Direct Employ service, Georgia came on as Ethan&#8217;s dedicated support worker and changed everything for the Wall family.
&#8220;Ethan and I couldn&#8217;t be without her, he loves her, and the feelings are mutual,&#8221; Louise says.
&#8220;I truly believe that Ethan would never reach some of his everyday living goals without her.&#8221;
With Georgia around, Louise could focus on Alex while he was a newborn without having to also manage Ethan&#8217;s needs 24/7.
Carer Solutions takes care of all the employer admin, like paying Georgia and managing tax and compliance requirements, so Louise can focus on being a mum.
Now Georgia helps with everything from home life, to Ethan&#8217;s school run, appointments, and family outings.
&#8220;There is an element of isolation that comes with having a child with autism. Sometimes you just can&#8217;t go to some social events or you may have to leave early,&#8221; Louise admits.
&#8220;Ethan often doesn&#8217;t want to do some things or be somewhere, which can result in full meltdowns.&#8221;
That&#8217;s when Louise needs Georgia most, and she can&#8217;t imagine life without her support now – especially since Ethan was recently diagnosed with ADHD as well.
Reliable disability support is hard to access in regional areas like Ballarat, so having Carer Solutions in her corner is a huge relief for Louise.
&#8220;Aussie kids in regional towns have access to more resources now than ever before, but there&#8217;s still a need for more. Finding suitable support workers can be a challenge,&#8221; she says.
<blockquote>&#8220;Being able to choose who comes into your home and supports your child is a gamechanger.&#8221;</blockquote>
They still have to jump through NDIS hoops and put up with long wait times for vital services like occupational therapy, speech therapy, and behaviour therapy.
Ethan, now seven, was waitlisted for music therapy for two years, which Louise sees as proof that there&#8217;s still a lot of work to be done for kids with disabilities in regional Australia.
&#8220;We need to continue to educate people about people with both intellectual and physical disabilities to create more accessible spaces in the communities,&#8221; she says.
&#8220;We all need to continue to advocate for those people we know need the extra support, and continue to ask hard and uncomfortable questions.&#8221;
Published <a href="https://honey.nine.com.au/latest/disability-regional-australia-ethan-autism-louise-wall-exclusive/237bcc13-144c-4494-af26-86a0814fd947">9Honey</a> | MARCH 2024 |

Louise is wearing a purple tshirt and jeans and is sitting next to Georgia on her right, who is wearing a black tshirt with jeans. Ethan is seated between them and Alex is seated on georgia's lap. Both biys have a carer solutions heart plush in their hands.

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Lousie Wall_News

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News & Events 1080 x 720 - 10 (1)

Without the flexible care of Kevin from Carer Solutions, Shepparton local Michael Curtis would not be able to meet one of his personal goals: participating in the Great Victorian Bike Ride.
Leaving at the end of this week, Michael will ride from Orbost to Sale, a 300km journey over five days.
Michael, who has hereditary spastic paraplegia and mental illness, says life is there to be lived.
“You can either sit around and whinge about how you are and what you’ve got, or just go and live life the best you can, and that’s what I do,” Michael said.
<blockquote>“The Great Victorian Bike Ride is something I have always wanted to do.”</blockquote>
Michael says he couldn’t have committed to taking part without his support worker, Kevin.
“He worked through a couple of other providers, but he found they weren’t very flexible, which is not the case with Carer Solutions,” Michael said.
“So being flexible, I can ring Kev and say ‘Hey, Kevin, I’m not having a good day’ and if Kevin’s available, he will come across and be with me and do things for a day.”
Michael was able to employ Kevin through Carer Solutions’ direct employee service, which allows NDIS participants to choose their own support workers.
“Michael chose Kevin, somebody he knows, someone he trusts from within his own network, and employs him directly through our model,” Carer Solutions founder and chief executive Jane Morrell said.
“People come to us with who they want to employ, someone that they already know, already trust, have an existing relationship with, from within their own networks.
“Then we set that person up to be the legal employer of that person, getting a choice and control over who provides them with support.
“The whole benefit of the service is that people come to us with who they want to employ.”
Michael and Kevin have been training every Friday for Michael to be able to meet his goal.
“We have done a bit of training around here, but it is flat, and the ride is going to have rolling hills more than anything, so we have been riding the Great Victorian Rail Trail,” Michael said.
“I couldn’t do these things; I couldn’t do the bike ride, even the training without a carer — it is just not possible.
“For me, the NDIS has been really good; it has allowed me to do a lot of things that I wouldn’t be able to do.
 
Published Shepparton News | NOV 22, 2023 |

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Michael Curtis_Shep News_22 Nov 2023

A woman dressed a yellow tartan top with short pink hair sits in a wheelchair outside her home in Bendigo

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Alex Reimer - Bendigo Advertiser Article

Bendigonian Alex Reimer describes herself as &#8220;a survivor of abuse and neglect by various support workers&#8221;.
&#8220;Too often, the wrong people attract work in the caring industry, leaving us more vulnerable to being mistreated,&#8221; the 26-year-old says.
&#8220;[But] I also consider myself to be speaking to this issue from a place of privilege because I am able to communicate and I have an expansive support network which allows me to advocate for others.&#8221;
<h2>Royal Commission wraps up</h2>
The experiences of thousands of people around the country living with disability &#8211; many of whom don&#8217;t have a great deal of support &#8211; have been collected by the historic Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, which wrapped up a four-year investigation with a final public hearing last week.
The commission&#8217;s report &#8211; advising what should be done to prevent mistreatment and promote a more inclusive society &#8211; is due to be handed to the government at the end of this month.
Ms Reimer, who has cerebral palsy, says more support and more inclusivity is needed in Bendigo, where living with the disease can be isolating due to a lack of awareness and accessibility.
&#8220;From stairs into a building to people speaking to my support workers instead of me directly, these things can have an impact on my daily life,&#8221; she said, communicating in writing.
&#8220;Throughout my life, people have tried to dictate what I could and couldn&#8217;t do, which I did my best to politely ignore, but if our environment is not friendly to all, it makes it difficult.&#8221;
Nevertheless, the dynamic California Gully resident has pushed through the challenges to move out on her own, publish a collection of prose and poetry and train as a reiki practitioner and &#8220;psychic medium&#8221;.
&#8220;I want to break down the societal belief that disability is something to be fixed,&#8221; she says.
The answer is in &#8220;making our community more environmentally, socially and mentally inclusive, for instance by educating businesses about how to make their spaces more welcoming.&#8221;
<h2>Lack of adequate support</h2>
According to Jane Morrell, CEO of support service Carer Solutions, which works with Ms Reimer, a lack of adequate support for people with disability is a form of neglect that poses a serious and growing threat to wellbeing.
&#8220;There&#8217;s a really significant workforce shortage that we&#8217;re experiencing around the country, and it&#8217;s getting pretty desperate,&#8221; she said.
&#8220;The workforce needs to grow by 31 per cent &#8211; so an additional 83,000 full time workers are needed by June 2024.&#8221;
<h2>More support workers needed</h2>
In the Bendigo area there are about 4300 NDIS participants, Ms Morrell said, and by 2025, approximately 1800 support workers will be needed here.
&#8220;Where are these workers going to come from? We really need more innovative solutions, people thinking outside of the square,&#8221; Ms Morrell said.
The service she founded 12 years ago &#8220;provides a perfect solution to the shortages&#8221;, according to Ms Morrell.
&#8220;How it works is that people use us to directly employ somebody they already know, someone from within their own networks &#8230; and what we do as an organisation is set them up to be a legal employer of that person,&#8221; she said.
Ms Reimer, who says it is always a struggle to find adequate support, describes Carer Solutions as &#8220;a great organisation&#8221;.
In general, there&#8217;s a need for &#8220;much greater levels of support,&#8221; she says.
AUTHOR: Jenny Denton | Photographer Darren Howe
Published Bendigo Advertiser | SEPT 20, 2023 |

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Alex Reimer_Website Thumbnail_NEWS

Jane is wearing a white shirt and teal pants, she is standing on a balcony with the city behind her. She is smiling at the camera

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News & Events 1080 x 720 - 3 (5)

By Jane Morrell 
Published in the Daily Telegraph | JULY 14, 2023
As we reflect on the past 10 years of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), there’s no doubt that it has helped transform so many lives, providing much needed funding and support, as well as greater choice and control for people living with disability.
In 2012, a year before the NDIS was introduced, I created Carer Solutions. I had worked in the disability sector for a number of years and had met with countless frustrated and exhausted families across Australia who were facing a significant lack of options when it came to finding suitable support workers.
Carer Solutions remains the only organisation in Australia that supports people living with disability to employ disability support workers that they already know and trust. We partner with individuals and their families, to take care of all the complicated and time-consuming tasks, including compliance, insurance, and payroll obligations.
But, with a support worker shortage of 200,000 forecast by 2050, the government really needs to invest in attracting people to work in the disability care workforce. We need to see more providers like Carer Solutions who offer innovative and genuine solutions for people living with disability, so that people eligible for the NDIS, can access it without barriers.
We know that attracting and retaining a suitably skilled, qualified workforce continues to prove a significant challenge, with the sector increasingly seen as overworked, underpaid, undervalued, and poorly trained.
In Bill Shorten’s first address to the industry, he recognised that the worker shortage was a complex and challenging issue that will take more than the ‘A Life Changing Life’ online advertising campaign to solve.
Carer Solution’s unique direct employ model is especially helpful for those participants with specific cultural and linguistic barriers, or for those living in regional and remote areas, where accessing support is even more challenging.
It’s crucial that we involve our First Nations people in developing a strategy for the NDIS, with new data showing greater numbers of First Nations people are accessing the NDIS.
Over a third of participants are not able to access support workers, as many NDIS services are not culturally appropriate for First Nations people with disability.
Another area that the NDIS needs to address is their systems and processes. One of many challenging examples is the worker screening process in Tasmania. We are currently working with government ministers to identify technical issues between Federal and State departments, highlighting the need for departments to work together, and not in silos.
This worker screening issue is impacting a significant number of our Tasmanian participants and their Support Workers, and if not addressed as a matter of urgency, it will continue to affect them being able to access much-needed support.
I would also love to see more open collaboration and direct lines with providers who can assist with navigating unclear changes and ambiguous rules within the NDIS. I welcome the concept of an ‘NDIS Innovation Panel’, where disability service providers can collaborate on finding innovative solutions to complex challenges within the disability sector.
So as we look to the future, I think we can all agree that much needed reform and innovation is needed with the NDIS to ensure it remains sustainable for the next 10 years and beyond.
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Image of Elizabeth and her son Oliver who are standing back-to-back, in front of a hedge, looking at the camera. Oliver is wearing glasses and is holding his pet Schnauzer dog close to his face. Below the image is a link to the article.

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AndersHeraldSun

Elizabeth Anders does not see autism as a deficit.
The Waurn Ponds single mum and her three kids are all autistic and have ADHD.
<blockquote>
“I get quite upset when people think autism means there’s something wrong&#8230; your brain just works differently.”
</blockquote>
April is Autism Awareness Month.
Autism is a lifelong condition that affects how a person thinks, feels, interacts with others, and experiences their environment, according to Autism Spectrum Australia.
Ms Anders and her children Oliver, Ciaran, and Niamh, now aged 21, 18 and 16, were all diagnosed with autism about 13 years ago.
When they were young, all three children exhibited echolalia – the unsolicited repetition of utterances made by others – and other behavioural differences.
Ms Anders said throughout her life she’d felt “weird”.
“When the kids were going through their diagnoses, the diagnostician said do you think it might be a good idea to get yourself diagnosed as well,” she said.
“It wasn’t a surprise really.”
The diagnosis was a relief, and retrospectively helped her make sense of aspects of her life, she said.
The boys were diagnosed with ADHD around the same time as autism, while for Ms Anders and her daughter the news was more recent.
“It’s meant we’ve had access to life-changing medication,” Ms Anders said.
“Our lifestyle choices are possibly quite different to neurotypical families.
“It’s a lot less authoritarian.
“There are different kinds of expectations – I’m aware different things can trigger the kids.”
Ms Anders also has chronic pain and mobility issues.
Ms Anders, who is involved with advocacy for unpaid carers, said juggling four NDIS plans was a “full-time job”.
She said her kids hated change and had felt terribly let down when support workers frequently changed.
“I don’t think people realise lots of autistic people feel really let down when people leave,” she said.
She used Carer Solutions’ ‘direct employ’ model to hire support worker Sebastian.
Sebastian previously helped the family when he worked with another agency, and when he wanted to leave, Ms Anders was able to directly hire him.
The ‘direct employ’ model means Carer Solutions is not the employer but takes care of matters including back-end checks and admin.
“He’s committed to the overall wellbeing of the family,” Ms Anders said.
Carer Solutions founder Jane Morrell said consistency was important for both clients and support workers.
“With that comes a really strong connection,” she said.
Ciaran has just been appointed to a leadership role at his school, Oliver is doing work experience at an art gallery and Niamh is very interested in guinea pigs and graphic design.
Ms Anders is “absolutely” proud of the trio.
She said she felt many community members wanted neurodiverse people to fit in with them.
“My hope for the future is people with a range of different abilities are recognised as all having something individual and particular to offer,” she said.
“Embracing neurodiversity can only be a good thing for everyone.
“We need neurotypical people to help us communicate (our ideas).”
Published Geelong Advertiser | Herald Sun | Daily Telegraph | The Courier Mail| APR 9, 2023

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Anders Fam_Website Thumbnail_NEWS

Jo, a woman with Down syndrome is smiling at her support worker Wendy who is looking at Jo and has dark hair and glasses

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Jo Page and Wendy

Published ABC News| MAR 21, 2023
Anne and husband John had to become self-trained therapists when Jo was born in the isolated town of Newman in Western Australia.
With the nearest family more than 12 hours away in Perth, Mrs Page said it was a tough start in life for Jo, with access to only one doctor.
She said the doctor knew very little about disabilities and it was during a time when Down Syndrome had a &#8220;revolting&#8221; name.
Her family soon moved across the country to Birchip in western Victoria, but Jo still had to travel more than an hour by bus to reach therapists in St Arnaud.
&#8220;People thought that we were pretty crazy doing that when she was two-and-a-half, but she slept all the way and didn&#8217;t do her any harm.&#8221;
Even getting Jo into school proved to be a challenge.
&#8220;The hierarchy, who I had to approach didn&#8217;t think it was perhaps the best choice that we should be doing,&#8221; Mrs Page said.
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&#8220;You had to deal with that, and more or less kind of educate them.&#8221;
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With a population of less than 1,000, Birchip has more than it&#8217;s fair share of community support for the Down Syndrome community.
Mrs Page said every shop owner knew Jo&#8217;s name.
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&#8220;That&#8217;s not got to do with any training or being a therapist, that&#8217;s a nice, lovely person that appears either as your neighbour or someone that has just the most amazing heart,&#8221; she said.
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&#8220;It&#8217;s a beautiful moment when you find those people that come into you into your life and are so supportive, and they&#8217;ve been there all Jo&#8217;s life.&#8221;
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Mrs Page said her family realised early on it was up to them to find out what services and support were available.
It is a lesson they try to impart on young families who also have children with Down Syndrome.
&#8220;When there is a diagnosis, you&#8217;ve got that grief component, no one deals with that except the families,&#8221; Mrs Page said.
&#8220;The world falls apart, no one really support you with that grief part.
&#8220;So sometimes that lingers for families for a long time.&#8221;
According to National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) statistics, more than 12,500 people in Australia list Down syndrome as their primary or secondary disability.
Carer Solutions chief executive Jane Morrell said people in regional areas struggled to find the right support, despite it being the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability.
&#8220;Whether it&#8217;s you having a disability yourself or a family member, you want to be in the driver&#8217;s seat and be able to make those decisions for yourself but that choice is taken away when you&#8217;re going down the road with a traditional provider,&#8221; she said.
&#8220;If they&#8217;ve got an existing relationship with someone, that&#8217;s half the battle.
&#8220;So it&#8217;s really important that you have that connection and that and that level of trust, with someone who&#8217;s coming in and out of your home, especially with anything to do with personal care.&#8221;
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Jo is wearing a magenta coloured blouse and is seated next to her support worker Wendy. Jo's parents Anne and John are standing behind them. Everyone is smiling at the camera

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With the theme of ‘cracking the code, this year’s International Women’s Day is all about using innovation and tech to break down barriers for women across a range of industries.
I know from personal experience that women with an innovative idea can face a huge range of challenges in order to have their ideas seen and heard &#8211; especially as young women.
At the age of 31, I faced a huge number of challenges trying to pitch my business idea to a room of executives within the disability sector. My idea to design a system that could be led by the participant or their nominee, not the provider, hadn’t been attempted before. The idea was met with scepticism by many and downright disbelief by others. I regularly felt judged and underestimated simply for being a young entrepreneur.
Merely being taken seriously was my first hurdle. I needed to impress &#8211; and that was before I even attempted to prove that my business concept was viable.
My business idea was seen as far-fetched and out of the box, especially since innovation and change were not always embraced within the disability sector (especially pre-NDIS). It took time and effort &#8211; ten years, in fact, to explain my vision and make people understand that my idea can and does work.
Imposter syndrome is pretty common in the workplace, especially for those who set high standards for themselves. However, for many entrepreneurs, those moments of doubt can escalate when you leave meeting after meeting, wondering whether you’d be taken seriously or just dismissed as another person trying to ‘fake it till you make it’.
We must work extra hard to overcome those voices &#8211; whether they’re coming from external sources or from within our own internal self-talk. Despite all these challenges, I persevered and built a successful business that has changed the way the disability sector operates.
I’m well aware that I’m just one story among a sea of others. I’ve often seen people who don’t possess a ‘bulldog’ attitude be interrupted, spoken over and undermined. In order to drive lasting change, we must challenge the assumptions and internal biases that lead ourselves and others to back women and other marginalised groups into a corner.
Innovation and technology have been put front and centre this International Women’s Day. But in order to drive true innovation across a range of sectors, we need to keep having difficult conversations about the reality faced by women and marginalised groups when they attempt exactly that.
My hope is that the discrimination and rejections I faced just a decade ago aren’t quite as harsh for the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs. I hope they’re able to recognise discrimination for what it is, call it out and stop it in its tracks.
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By Jane Morrell Published in TechDay| MAR 8, 2023

Jane is sitting on a couch, with arm resting on the back, looking over her shoulder and smiling.

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Jane Morrell

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<h3 class="nm-post-hd1">“I Wanted A Seat At The Table, So I Learned To Act Like A Man”</h3>
As a female entrepreneur, I’ve been acutely aware of being the only woman in the room more times than I can count. I’ve watched with relief over the years as the push towards workplace gender equality has led to more women on company boards and a push towards pay equity.
But despite these baby steps, I can’t help but feel that a crucial part of the conversation is being lost among the numbers and statistics.
For a long time, the only way I could gain a seat at the table was to dig deep and embody the same ‘male energy’ as the group of men already sitting there.
When I was first trying to get my business off the ground, I experienced this pressure every time I met with peers and other businesses within the disability sector. I was 31 years old and had spent a year researching and designing an innovative service model that would transform the way people could employ disability support workers within Australia.
I was passionate and confident that it would change the game, despite change not always being embraced within the sector. My idea was seen as far-fetched, so as I walked into every meeting, I would prepare myself to match the strong, dominant energy that I knew would be in the room. I acted unphased when told ‘you’re dreaming – this is too hard’ or ‘this is never going to work’. I would drive away, meeting after meeting, feeling anxious about how I’d been perceived. Not because of my performance, but because I hadn’t been myself.
Whether we want to admit it or not, many entrepreneurs feel this way. The pressure to put aside our authentic qualities to be taken seriously is often the only way forward in the competitive, often cut-throat business world. We walk into boardrooms reminding ourselves to show no sign of weakness or vulnerability. Sure, some people may find this comes naturally to them. For me, though, it went against my natural instinct. My authenticity, empathy, and passion – all the things that make my business so successful now in hindsight – were put on the back burner.
A decade later, this is still an experience that intrigues me. As I’ve opened up about my own journey – to friends, colleagues, and fellow entrepreneurs – the more I’ve discovered that this is something that resonates with many – women, members of marginalised communities and… men.
Gender aside, my questions are – why can’t we be encouraged to lean into our own, unique energy? Why are we spending so much time worrying about who we think we need to be, to make the best impression? And why aren’t authenticity, empathy, and trust valued on the same level as our business acumen?
I have a feeling that we’d all find ourselves being better leaders, better business partners, and more successful entrepreneurs if we simply embraced the qualities that naturally came to us.
As the conversation around workplace gender equality continues, my hope is that we’re all encouraged to challenge assumptions and learn that there is no one way of being that ensures success. At every turn, we should be encouraged to lean into our true energy.
Making physical space for women and marginalised groups in business isn’t enough – we need to make space for all the valuable, authentic qualities they bring with them, too.
<a href="https://www.womenshealth.com.au/i-wanted-a-seat-at-the-table-so-i-learned-to-act-like-a-man/">Read the full article in Australian Women&#8217;s Health</a>
By Jane Morrell 
Published in Australian Women&#8217;s Health | MAR 7, 2023

Jane is wearing a white shirt, gold earrings and is looking at the camera with a gentle smile.

News

Northern Star Weekly: Autism Awareness close to home

9Honey: Louise wasn’t worried about her son’s symptoms until eight words ‘hit her in the heart like a tonne of bricks’

Shepparton News: Michael Curtis to embark on Great Victorian Bike Ride

Bendigo Advertiser: Disability advocate Alex Reimer says more inclusivity is needed

Daily Telegraph: Time to address shortage

Geelong Advertiser: Elizabeth Anders speaks out during Autism Awareness Month

ABC News: Community Support Helps Family Navigate Challenges of Down Syndrome

IWD 2023: The Reality of ‘Cracking the Code’ Within a Male-Dominated Industry

Women’s Health Australia featuring Jane Morrell