13 Nov 2018 HLAC Food Service Assistant Award National Winner – Katherine Muscat, Estia Health Werribee
A veteran at just 23.
Katherine started working at Estia Health when she was just 15 years old. What was initially a part-time job working in the kitchen after school quickly transformed into a passion for food, nursing and making residents happy. Over nine years Katherine has grown close to the residents and their families and demonstrates a good understanding of not only the tasks at hand, but how to create happy moments for residents. She listens to residents’ life stories and experiences when she serves them afternoon tea and lingers over their photos, lovingly shared. She demonstrates a willingness to go above and beyond by choosing to come in one hour earlier on Sundays to read the daily newspaper to residents or run small errands.
Maintaining high standards takes dedication, patience and energy and these are qualities that Katherine has in abundance. These attributes have translated into producing café worthy sandwiches and salads and assisting the Chef with special functions, all the while maintaining high work standards in the kitchen and mentoring new staff members and managing team rosters.
Not surprisingly, Katherine’s part-time after school job has become a career pathway and she has successfully completed three years of study while working to qualify as a PCA and is on track to becoming a fully qualified Registered Nurse. Yet, she still prefers to work in the kitchen, bringing smiles to residents’ faces whenever she can. For Katherine, nothing is too hard and she constantly puts her growing knowledge to good use, consulting Nurses in charge and the Chef Manager to improve residents’ wellbeing through innovation and going the extra mile.