industry
“A love story for my work
but also a love story in terms
of my partner Melinda.”
Dr Turnbull met Melinda via
Facebook, which he joined to stay
in touch with a friend who had
moved from England to South
Australia. Not fully understanding
how Facebook worked at the time,
he thought he was having a private
conversation with that friend
when another person – Melinda –
jumped into the conversation.
Dr Guy Turnbull gives an industry briefing in Adelaide.
“After working out how Facebook
worked, I had some private messages
“If you take CASA, which As well as sharing his expertise does everything from domestic on care cooperatives, Dr Turnbull has dating for a year but I asked because
support to end of life palliative run masterclasses on disability and I was in the UK, would she make an
and complex care, you’re entrepreneurship while in Australia. exception if I asked her to lunch and
offering career progression,
better pay, better conditions.
“In the UK, care is a sector
she said okay. A few months later, I
Keith Bates, established Rapid had a job in New Zealand, so I went
Enterprise Development in the UK via Adelaide,” he said.
where you can rock up with no for people with intellectual and qualifications, maybe you messed other disability, said while self- point of view is we had been
around at school, whatever … but you employment wasn’t a panacea, messaging and then it came to that
rock up and all you need is empathy it should be a more prominent point in the conversation where she
and to be a caring person, and you option for people with disability. would meet me off the plane, we
can get a share in the business and
“Disability itself isn’t around
“The funny thing from a disability
would see each other, and then I
if you work hard and train hard you whether someone shakes or suddenly thought she doesn’t know
become qualified on the job which not, it isn’t about physical if I’ve got CP or not, because I never
actually then gives you a career. impairment, it’s about loss of think of myself as disabled.
“Here, there’s too much of the
control. Loss of economic control,
“I spoke to my sister-in-law and
casual support worker who gets loss of economic power … loss asked, do I tell her, or just turn up
‘over it’ at one place and goes to of self-esteem,” he said. and go ‘ta-da!” She said I better tell
work for another provider, before
“I’ve run a business since
her, so I did.”
they become ‘over it’ there and 1995 and as someone with a go somewhere else again, without disability, although I don’t think time with Melinda and finding time
gaining any new skills. The cost to the of myself as a shakey man, for me, for the odd hike in the Adelaide Hills,
organisations to replace these people running a business makes you amid his professional commitments
is huge. For the organisation, the stand taller, because it means and latest entrepreneurial challenge
more they can lessen staff turnover, something in your heart.” of expanding The Cooperative Life.
the better terms and conditions they
Australia, too, is close to Dr
Dr Turnbull is enjoying spending
This once unlikely entrepreneur
can pay, because money isn’t being Turnbull’s heart, as he hopes to is now passionate about changing
wasted on replacing staff. move here permanently. the way Australia looks at the care
“Clients also demand and deserve
continuity of staff.”
26
Dr Turnbull, who with colleague
with Melinda. She had sworn off
industry
“This is also a love story you see,”
Dr Turnbull explains.
business.
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