31 May 2023
Part of the team
Tell me a little bit about yourself.
My name is Colin Koyce. I am from Parteen in County Clare. I gained a Bachelor of Arts in English and History before moving onto UCC to gain a Masters in Youth Work. I also gained a Postgraduate certificate in Mental Health Promotion as my thesis during my Masters was around Mental Health and I gained a great interest in the subject and wanted to further my knowledge around it.
In my spare time I compete in Boxing and Kickboxing in my local gym The Hub Limerick. While training here I have also become a boxing coach through the IABA. When not competing, I help train our younger boxers.
What motivated you to join the Resilience Healthcare Social Care team?
After completing my MA in Youth Work, I wanted to work with a reputable organisation in the disability sector. I came across Resilience Healthcare on social media and found that their ethos and values spoke to me and applied for a position. I was fortunate enough to become a Community Support Worker within the Clare/Limerick area.
What were the biggest challenges you faced during your time in Social Care? And how did you overcome them?
My biggest challenge was mainly my lack of experience working with individuals with disabilities. Yet, working under Cathy Moynihan and my other experienced colleagues I was tutored to a very competent degree. I also found that being willing to ask for help and accept guidance from others is a major help when bridging the gap in experience. It is important to never be afraid to ask for help. It is great that the Resilience team is so inviting and non-judgemental space, that it makes it easy to ask for help.
What has been your biggest achievement or success story?
My biggest achievement to date is with a service user I worked with previously. Before working with them, they were unwilling to engage in education in a formal or informal setting. Yet, through working with them and their interests they gained their ECDL licence through an online portal and engaged with online courses in Media, Video Editing, and Digital Marketing. Although progress was slow at the beginning. Finding courses that complimented the service users’ hobbies helped immensely.
What motivated your change into an office role?
During my time as a Community Support Worker, I was studying for my CIPD accreditation with Dorset College Dublin. Human Resources was always a career was I was interested in but I was never confident pursuing it. Yet, when I began studying with Dorset College Dublin, I gained confidence around the subject matter, while at the same time Resilience were advertising for a Human Resource Administrator. I felt like luck was on my side as I enjoyed working for Resilience in a support worker capacity and felt that my values aligned with the companies, so to have an opportunity to follow my career ambitions while also staying with a company I had enjoyed working for already was an opportunity I could not pass up.
How does your experience compare to your expectations?
My experience has exceeded my expectations, as the support I felt as a Community Support Worker was matched within the HR team. It has been a fantastic year so far. The team has been more than welcoming and open to questions. I feel that I have had the perfect blend of being pushed outside of my comfort zone while also being nurtured into the role as it was my first experience working within a HR capacity. I could not have asked for a better team to become a part of. From onboarding to now I always feel supported.
What advice would you give to someone considering join Resilience Healthcare?
The only advice I could give is if you are thinking about joining Resilience you should. It is a great company to work for regardless of the department. You will be supported from all levels. For a company of Resilience’ size you don’t just feel like a number, you feel like part of the team.
Where do you see yourself in the future?
In the future I like to see myself continuing my career in HR and moving into a Generalist role once I have the experience and continuing developing my competencies.
