29/09/2026
βJust a cleaner.β
βJust a Support Worker.β
βJust aβ¦β
That word β just β honestly saddens me.
Because somewhere along the way, weβve created a society where we can make someone feel smaller simply by the way we describe what they do.
There is no βjustβ a cleaner.
There is no βjustβ a Support Worker.
These are incredibly important roles β roles that make a genuine difference in peopleβs lives every single day.
As Support Workers and cleaners, we often become some of the most trusted and important people in our clientsβ lives.
We arenβt simply there to complete a task.
We are there to support, listen, encourage and care.
We provide emotional support.
We provide social and psychological support.
We help people maintain their independence and dignity.
We help with everyday activities that some of our clients physically or emotionally cannot manage themselves.
And when weβre cleaning someoneβs home, weβre not βjust cleaning.β
Weβre helping create a safe, clean and comfortable environment for someone who may not be capable of doing those things themselves.
When weβre supporting someone to attend an appointment, go shopping, get out into the community, prepare a meal, complete an activity or simply have someone there to talk to β weβre not βjust a Support Worker.β
Weβre helping someone live their life.
And Iβve experienced the assumptions around these roles myself.
When Iβm out in the community cleaning or supporting someone, people can sometimes look at me differently.
Then they ask, βSo, what do you actually do?β
And when I tell them Iβm part of a successful three-part business, that Iβm a Director, and that Iβm also involved in running a foundation that gives back to our community, Iβve literally seen the change in their face.
The eyes get bigger.
The mouth drops.
And suddenly itβs:
βOhβ¦ I didnβt realise youβre a boss.β
And that makes me wonderβ¦
What does a boss actually look like?
Does a boss have to wear a suit?
Sit behind a desk?
Drive an expensive car?
Have a fancy title?
Because I donβt look like that every day.
Some days Iβm in work clothes.
Some days Iβm cleaning someoneβs home.
Some days Iβm supporting someone in the community.
Some days Iβm doing paperwork and running a business.
Some days Iβm getting my hands dirty.
And most days Iβm volunteering my time to give back to the very community that supports us.
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And some days Iβm making decisions that affect the future of our businesses and the people we support.
Iβm still the same person.
My clothes donβt determine my worth.
My job title doesnβt determine my value.
And the work Iβm doing today doesnβt tell you what Iβve achieved, what Iβm capable of, or where Iβm going.
So before you say βjust a cleanerβ, think again.
Before you say βjust a Support Workerβ, think again.
Because behind that person could be a business owner, a parent, a leader, a volunteer, a community advocate, a director, a dreamer, a fighter β or simply someone doing an incredibly important job that society genuinely depends on.
There is dignity in every honest job.
And there is enormous value in the people who show up every day to care for others, support others and make someoneβs life a little easier.
So if you see me out there cleaning or supporting someone, donβt look down on me.
You might just be looking at the boss. β€οΈ
And more importantly, you might be looking at someone who is making a real difference in another personβs life.
Never underestimate the person wearing the uniform.
