Harley is our Regional Manager of Lifestyle and Respite for Victoria’s north-west.
Harley’s passion for sport saw him coach young people with disabilities, just after finishing high school. He loved it and many years later he is enjoying a rewarding and interesting leadership role in disability services, based in Wangaratta.
Tell me a bit about your role at VMCH?
I look after our NDIS clients and programs in Victoria’s regional north and west. We cover from Wodonga and all the way to Horsham. Our services include direct support and support coordination. We run programs for people with disability that reflect their interests and goals.
We started offering services in this region in January 2018. Now we have about 180 people receiving support from us as part of their NDIS plan. We also support 1,400 carers.
What do you enjoy about working at VMCH?
One of the things that I’m passionate about is developing programs with community input and VMCH has been supportive of that. This organisation shares my belief that we create programs with the individual’s input and not around what we think the individual needs.
What’s the biggest myth or misconception about people with disability that you come across?
The biggest misconception, I think, is the belief by some people that people with disability won’t be able to do certain things without even giving it a chance. What we need to do is look at things from the perspective of the people we support.
I prefer to say to myself and my team that they will do it, and they will do it in their time.
What’s your future wish for the people we support in disability services?
My future wish doesn’t really count. I want their wishes to come true and not mine. I want them to reach their goals, whatever that is.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Outside of work, I become a dad and a husband. I’ve got two young girls and my wife. Just being in that moment with my girls and make sure I don’t forget who they are. I also have a little hobby farm and I like to potter around there, and I like playing sport.
