House Coordinator, Honey Zanos

Honey Zanos is a House Coordinator for Baptist Care SA’s Residential Care Services, which cares for children and young people who are in out-of-home care.   
 

What is a House Coordinator?  

A House Coordinator coordinates every aspect of a young person’s life’, which will depend on the young person and involve thinking through every part of their holistic needs. I engage with all the other people and professionals in the child’s life, known as their community of care. Everything needs to be carefully coordinated and planned and this often involves communicating with many other professionals included in the child’s life. This can include a Department of Child Protection social worker, NDIS worker, behavioural practitioner, speech therapist, occupational therapist, school specialists and educators, GP, paediatrician – lots of people to work together meet just one child’s holistic care needs. For example, if a child needs to see a dentist, I arrange for their medical needs to be met as well as the staffing needed to support the child who may live with a disability or trauma.   
 

What do you like about your role?    

I love working with young people and I feel empowered to question what is happening for them. There is a real culture of working together and a great rapport amongst us. Baptist Care SA is invested in me as a leader and not just a worker. I feel supported and empowered to push back and ask what is happening for children.   
 

Describe a memorable moment  

A six-year-old child in care who is non-verbal said “bless you” when a youth support worker sneezed. He received so much praise and attention that he now does it all the time and is beginning to add new words like ‘thank you’. It’s just adorable.