Meet the Mentors
Tania Cleary
Senior Workplace Mentoring Advisor
Tania joined the WIDI team in February 2022 as a workplace mentoring advisor. With over 20 years of experience in the community services sector, Tania began her journey to change the landscape for people living with disabilities after starting in the community services sector as an Aged and Disability support worker.
Tania’s commitment to advocacy and support continued to develop through her professional experiences and roles within the industry. These roles include disability advocacy, case management, welfare support, and workplace training. Tania is moving into the mentoring program to give back to the industry that has given her so much and to help foster an environment of growth and leadership in the students.
Tania remains passionate about community inclusion and equality, and aims to continue this work in her role at WIDI.
Andrea Vargas Cabrera
Workplace Mentor
Andrea joined the WIDI team in June 2022 as a Workplace Mentoring Advisor. She brings very wide experience in the community sector from her work overseas and in Australia. With 27 years mainly working with NFPs, she has been part of a variety of programs and projects focused on strengthening individuals, communities, local organisations, and local governments.
Her interest for supporting people has taken her on an journey in the Disability and Age Care sector for 6 years in Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, and Gold Coast. It was a rewarding experience for her, and she appreciated the great qualities that they possessed and feels inspired by their resilience, love for life and good sense of humour.
Her other passion has been working in remote Aboriginal communities in Western Australia and Northern Territory, where she spent more than 8 years. She feels so grateful and regards working with Aboriginal people as an incredible privilege as she had the opportunity to learn and live in their culture. She developed a great admiration, love, and respect for first nation peoples and is committed to the recognitions of their rights and the improvement of their quality of life in Australia.
Anne Vogt
Workplace Mentor
Anne commenced at WIDI in April 2022 as a Workplace Mentor Advisor, to support students completing the Advanced Diploma of Community Sector Management.
Anne started her career (many years ago) as a Mental Retardation Nurse at Kew Cottages/Kew Residential and has stayed in the sector, in recent years in the role of Operations Manager with a not-for-profit organisation. Anne is aware of the significant issues currently facing the sector and is committed to using her industry knowledge, leadership, debriefing and mentoring skills to develop staff either entering the sector or those already working in it.
Anne is excited to join the WIDI team and looks forward to working with the team and supporting her mentees to equip them with the skills necessary to enhance people’s quality of life and build workforce capability across the sector.
Barbara Hill
Workplace Mentor
Barbara brings over 25 years of experience in the disability, aged and community sectors to the role of Workplace Mentor at WIDI. Barbara has expertise in areas as diverse as early intervention, case management, community development, assessment, and teaching. She has worked in large NFPs, Local Government, and Community Health providers, as well as in small local community organisations and a social enterprise start up.
Barbara has a passion for well-being, meditation, and personal development, and brings this focus to her mentoring. She believes building strong communities includes supports for a skilled, resilient, and mentally healthy community workforce.
Barbara is a member of the Australian Institute of Training and Development, and Meditation Australia. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Disability, and Cert. IV in Training and Assessment.
Cam Luong
Workplace Mentor
Cam started his career as a clinical social worker and during the pandemic he became an My Aged Care Intake and Assessment Team Leader. Cam joined WIDI in August 2022 as a Workplace Mentor. He brings a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to the sector. Cam has worked in various areas as diverse as aged care services assessment; disability, mental health and young people case management; child protection service and LGBTIQA+ community development.
Cam is passionate about representing the voice of vulnerable communities. He has supported individuals who are challenged with numerous life stresses. He is committed to assist people through a healing process and empower them to obtain better outcomes in their lives.
Cam holds a master by research degree in Social Work specialising in gender diverse. He is excited to be a part of WIDI and is looking forward to continuing the growth of the future community services workforce.
Chris Brodie
Workplace Mentor
Chris started her career as a Registered Nurse and became a Clinical Nurse Specialist (Rehabilitation). Besides acting as Team Leader on the ward and being responsible for the Education portfolio, she was heavily involved in the hospital Preceptor/Mentorship program. She regularly had undergraduate students and graduate nurses assigned to her for support and guidance during their time on the ward.
Almost 20 years ago she transitioned into working in the community. She has many years’ experience working as a Case Manager on various programs with clients with complex health needs, aged care and disability. She most recently worked for a local council as a Staff and Client Care coordinator which involved overseeing the care needs of clients as well as supervising and mentoring a large team of support workers.
Chris has worked with councils in other advisory, project management and administrative roles relating to aged care and disability. She completed the Cert IV in Training and Assessment a couple of years ago. In her spare time, she volunteers at a community health centre in the Community Connections team.
Chris is passionate about community services but also understands the challenges that working in the community sector bring. She is enthusiastic about empowering her mentees who are entering the industry as well as those who are already working in the field. Her focus is on building connections (with mentees and the community), sharing her broad knowledge and holistically supporting students as they navigate their way through their studies and work. She is excited to be working for WIDI and contributing to the growth and transformation of the social services workforce.
Heather Ackerley
Workplace Mentor
Heather commenced at WIDI in January 2023 as a Workplace Mentor Advisor to support students completing their Disability Studies.
Heather began her career in Disability Respite Services more than 35 years ago and quickly progressed to Senior Leadership roles supporting Vulnerable Victorians in Disability, Homelessness, Public Housing, Learning and Organisational Development, NDIS transition and Storm Recovery. Having recently retired from full time Public Service, Heather is aware of the significant issues currently facing the sector and is committed to utilising her skills and experience to support those who are starting out or progressing their careers in Disability Services.
After working in Senior Leadership roles for many years, Heather is super excited to get to know the students who are working in direct care roles and to assist them in any way she can to ensure their career journey is a positive and progressive one.
Kerryn Condon
Workplace Mentor
Kerryn has recently joined the team as a Workplace Mentor at WIDI. Kerryn brings approx. 30 years of experience working in the aged and disability sectors. Kerryn commenced her career, following studying a Bachelor of Applied Science – Intellectual Disability Studies, working in community residential units in the outer east for DHS. During her time at DHS Kerryn held roles as a support worker, house supervisor and team manager. Throughout her career Kerryn also worked in various roles including supporting students transition for school to work, individual support with participants at day programs, and more recently working for local council as a Home Support Assessor for the My Aged Care program.
Kerryn is committed to supporting others to be the best they can and to strive to reach their goals. Kerryn also holds a Specialist Certificate in Palliative Care and finds it rewarding and humbling to work alongside clients who are close to end of life. Kerryn has supported individuals who had newly acquired disabilities transition from hospital to home and implement their NDIS plans along with case management roles in the disability sector.
Kerryn has been a volunteer for the Winter Shelter supporting individual experiencing homelessness along with other volunteer roles in sports and education. Kerryn has a passion for community services and is focussed on supporting students studying and working in new industries to strive and learn through enhancing connections and positive experiences.