Our Senior Speech Pathologist and Site Leader Emma Hyde shares how she came to work for A Growing Understanding and her insights into what it’s like to be part of the team.
Swapping the Old for the New
After working for 15 years as a Speech Pathologist for the same service, I was at the stage of my career where I was looking for change. Juggling work/life balance as a mum was becoming difficult; I was travelling an hour and a half a day to and from work, there wasn’t much opportunity for career progression and my day to day just always looked the same. It felt static and I was after something different!
When I saw an ad for A Growing Understanding (AGU) it immediately sparked my interest! So much so, that after coming to meet the team, I applied for a position and then made a very bold decision to quit my extremely secure job and wholeheartedly jump into a new role at AGU! I took on a Senior Speech Pathologist role at the Newcastle site and I can say that I am very glad that I did!
So, what do I love most about being a Senior Speech Pathologist at AGU?
Work Life Balance
One of the many things I love about working at AGU is the flexibility of my working hours. Each clinician gets dedicated non face-to-face hours where they can work flexibly from home at a time that suits them. As a mum, this brings so much balance to my life! I can be there for school pick up, ballet dress rehearsals, I don’t have to take leave for medical appointments and I can get to a post office before they close! I didn’t realise how exciting this was until I could actually do it!
I feel like we sometimes underestimate the influence of these small things but all of these little things have combined to make a big difference for my work life balance. I can say with confidence that it’s the best balance I have had in a long time.
Opportunity for Growth
With my role at AGU comes so much opportunity to be doing things that I have not had the opportunity to do in other roles I have held. I have started writing blogs, I run a community event, ‘Stories on the Sand’, where I get to connect with the local community and read stories, do fun craft activities and chat to parents about any concerns they may have regarding their child’s speech, language, literacy and feeding development.
I’m also supported to pursue my dreams outside of my Speech Pathology career as a passionate photographer – I have had so much encouragement to chase this dream as well. So much so, that I have sold my first ever photography print since coming to work at AGU! Something I attribute to the team inspiring me to dream, learn and achieve my own personal goals.
Watching the Team Grow
Being able to watch the team grow their skills and confidence is one of the highlights of my position as a Senior Speech Pathologist. I have the opportunity to have weekly catch ups with staff and monthly clinical supervision with them. Watching their skills develop and their excitement in watching their clients achieve goals makes me feel like a proud parent! I feel that teams grow when they evolve together and I am really lucky to be a part of a dynamic and driven team who show so much appreciation and recognition of each other and are really motivated to achieve their highest potential.
To come to work and have the opportunity to support and inspire other Speech Pathologists whilst working alongside a leadership team who are driven, focused, passionate and supportive, is something I’m really appreciative of. The team at AGU make me feel valued, appreciated, celebrated and genuinely cared about, and that makes for some very fabulous days at work!
Join Our Team
The good news is that if what I’ve shared above sounds ideal for you, AGU are on the lookout for team members! If you’re interested in joining our team, check out the Join Our Team page on our website to learn about the roles and positions available!
