In Giving, Paul Has Received

In giving the world his best, the best has come back to Paul Davies.

After struggling with depression and without work for 10 years, Paul has turned his life around.

With the support of his mum, brother and the MAX team in Wollongong, Paul is now working as a qualified individual carer and has restored relationships with his children and other important people in his life.

It was amidst his challenges which also included relationship breakdown and low self-esteem, Paul still found it in himself to assist an elderly neighbour and his nephew who lives with Autism.

When his MAX consultant discovered this, she and Paul devised a plan that would see Paul complete a Certificate III in Individual Support, a move that would open up a range of future job opportunities.

Paul created a routine for himself to attend the office regularly as a way of holding himself accountable to completing his course work.

“I put my head down, I went into MAX nearly every day to do my study online,” says Mr Davies.

The MAX team watched Paul grow in confidence with each module he completed, cheering him on each step of the way.

Paul also attended any small courses that the MAX Wollongong team offered, including one promoting and practicing interview techniques.

After successfully completing the theory component of his course, Paul began to search for a work placement, but MAX’s Kimberley-Rose Latimer-Goodwin had another idea when a job became available.

Kimberley and the team encouraged Paul to apply and his fresh qualification combined with his newfound confidence saw him receive a job offer before the interview had even finished!

Paul is now working as an individual carer with Best 4U Support Services, loving giving back to people in need and the freedom and restoration that having a stable job has given him.

“The support that I got from MAX and my family – they gave me the push to get out there and get stable,” says Mr Davies.

“There are opportunities there for everyone, there is work out there if you want it, you just need to take it. You can make a difference in your own life if you really want to,” says Mr Davies.

Congratulations Paul! The entire MAX family is proud of you.

Give the world the best you have and the best will come back to you – Madeline Bridges, poet (1844-1920).