Archive for category: News

If you have ever found yourself at Brougham St, you’re likely to have found yourself the joy of meeting Lorna, our wonderful receptionist. While she will be the first person you see at the front desk, her contributions to LFBIT go far beyond, and it is safe to say we would not be the same without her!

Lorna has worked with LFBIT for just over a year, after searching for work not by role, but rather with an organisation she believes in. Her favourite parts of the job vary from day to day, but she loves working with the team every day and being helpful wherever she can. “The clients are pretty amazing,” Lorna adds, “I just try to add a little bit of humour or joy to their day as they walk in.”

Lorna is also part of the wellness committee, which was established this year to increase the support and wellness of staff. A role on this team has been a natural fit for Lorna, aligning well with her personal interests and strengths. The wellness committee is exploring ways to help staff in their work and home lives using methods from our very own psychologists, occupational therapists, and the rest of the team, to try and build a nurturing environment for all.

“One thing I really love about the organisation as a whole is that there is an openness to improving and actually trying to make this workplace not just amazing, supportive, and life-changing for the clients, but also for the staff.”

There are some very important next steps Lorna sees for the wellness committee, the top priority being the introduction of a therapy cat. And she has one in mind, being her own, Ryleigh! “He would be an important member, he’s got a lot of important ideas along the lines of ‘meow,’ and can bring some unique things to the table – ‘perhaps some fur with a dose of serotonin and dopamine,’ anyone?”

In addition to her efforts to increase staff wellness, Lorna is also a champion of inclusiveness at LFBIT. There has been an effort to increase the acknowledgement and incorporation of biculturalism. This has included incorporating te reo into signage, the encouragement of staff to speak, and openness to learn more about the language.

“We have been working with our amazing cultural advisor Francis Fasso, baby steps that will hopefully lead us to the bigger picture. I think we are making an active effort in improving and making sure everyone is included, not just with culture but with sexuality, race, religion. We try to approach it with a holistic point of view.”

Lorna’s work is much appreciated among staff. “Lorna is more than just a receptionist; she’s the glue that holds Brougham St together,” says Megan Bond, Clinical Administrator for the Assessment Team. “There is so much that she does for us that we have no idea about and we would be lost without her. She’s a favourite with clients and staff alike and a joy to work with.”

Lorna says it is awesome to see the growth in awareness of LFBIT since she started working here. “The staff are amazing and deserve so much credit for the hard work they do, and for the care and attention that they put into every day. They genuinely change lives and I hope they realise that.”

This admiration goes both ways! We are so thankful for all of the work that Lorna does for LFBIT, and are grateful for the cheery culture she creates right from the front door!

This week is Speech-Language Therapy Awareness Week, and we are thrilled to highlight the work of Laura Silcock, one of the wonderful speech-language therapists in our team at the Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust.

Laura studied speech and language therapy at the University of Canterbury, before moving to Auckland where she began working in brain injury, and has done for the last seven years. Six months ago, Laura joined our community team and has been working within there, as well as helping out in our assessment and residential teams, and within our Reconnect community support group.

The role of a speech-language therapist is a lot more involved than the title suggests. Naturally, the physical execution of speech and the construct and idea of language is a huge part of the role. But, in a general sense, the role is more about communication. Laura says, “It’s the thinking that you need to do to communicate, that is one thing that is unique to us as humans, interacting with others through words and facial expressions. Speech-language therapy is about helping people build meaningful connections in their lives, which we do through communication.”

Another large part of the role of an SLT that is rather unknown is the work done to support people with swallowing impairments. The muscles used in speech are also used for swallowing, so, many SLT’s work in this area. “It is really rewarding to help people recover function or improve sufficiency to swallowing function as eating and drinking is a key contributor to quality of life. Seeing someone drink water or eat a burger for the first time is incredibly fulfilling.”

The variety of work is something Laura says is an awesome aspect of working at LFBIT. On a regular day, she will work with many people in different stages of their rehab journey. “No two brain injuries are the same and no two clients are the same. Creating a real client-centred, individualised approach is important, because of that we have to adapt, change and learn, which is really cool. It is challenging and there is always something new!”

The opportunity to work in a team full of different talented professions is another aspect that Laura enjoys. “We get a lot of input from a lot of different professions. Not only is it cool to learn about, but it is also really cool for the client. They get a real holistic view of their life and rehab. You get to see stories of these amazing people doing ordinary things and getting on with life, and it is really special.”

Rangatiratanga, the theme of speech-language therapy week, is the idea of self-determination, and autonomy to make decisions. Laura sees many clients who, because of their communication impairments, have lost an aspect of rangatiratanga. Laura finds it incredibly special to have the opportunity to help those whose voices or challenges may not be acknowledged, helping them participate in ordinary life situations. For one client of Laura’s, it was as simple as being a part of parent-teacher interviews. An activity that many would take for granted, but, it was especially important for the client.

“Not many people know much about the effects of brain injury, so we need to do a lot of work to educate people on how to support these people. Our goal is to help them do the things that they should be a part of and can do if given the right tools and supports.”

We want to honour the work that Laura and all of our speech and language therapists do here at LFBIT. The difference they make in their clients’ lives is truly special. We are so thankful for the way they engage with and care for those they work with.