For anyone visiting our Brisbane Centre, Tania Kennedy is one of the first people you’ll likely see. Her welcoming nature is instantly reassuring for anyone – whether you’re a nervous parent at the start of your journey or someone who is coming in for weekly appointments.
The items organised across Tania’s desk highlight the diverse range of tasks she and the Business Support team do each day to ensure Hear and Say runs smoothly.
1. Phone
Some days it’s not too much of a stretch to liken the front desk at our Brisbane Centre to the NASA control room! From answering calls with parents booking appointments for their child, to people booking themselves in a hearing test, to schools wanting to know about our school screening program and staff asking a myriad of questions. It’s constantly all systems go!
2. NDIS/EFTPOS machine
Tania and the Business Support team work closely with our National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) team, clinicians and families to support children and clients to access services using their NDIS plans.
3. Processor
“The dog ate my child’s cochlear implant processor…” Tania has heard it all when it comes to hearing devices, and has helped families in all kinds of unexpected situations with replacing parts, troubleshooting issues and upgrading systems.
4. Temperature scanner
At the start of 2020, Tania’s role certainly didn’t include checking the temperature of everyone visiting the centre! However, keeping with the current times, Hear and Say’s COVID Safe Plan requires all visitors to our centres undertake a non-invasive temperature scan, along with signing a health declaration. As our first point of call for visitors, the Business Support team has done a wonderful job adapting to these ever-changing times and safeguarding everyone’s wellbeing.
5. Flowers
Tania has been working at Hear and Say for six years, and in this time she has seen babies born deaf grow into talkative children, and nervous parents become confident experts in their child’s hearing. Tania remembers fondly when little Max would walk into reception and say ‘good morning ladies’, she takes genuine interest in how all the animals are going out on Emmy’s farm, and be blown away by how much five-year-old Lyla has grown! It’s common to see a personalised colouring-in picture or some flowers on Tania’s desk, a gesture of thanks from someone in our community.
