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How a mop and bucket changed lives

Angela Brown did not let anything stop her from starting her own business and become, in her words, “a passionate employer of people with disability and disadvantage”. She spoke to Kymberly Martin.

Angela Brown launched her business with a mop and bucket. She was homeless from an unexpected marriage breakup with a 4-year-old son to support when a friend said she would give her $50 to clean her house, and others soon followed. She set up a website, completed a Certificate IV in Business and has not looked back.

Brown currently has 41 staff and services 720 domestic and commercial clients across Toowoomba and surrounding areas located on the Queensland Darling Downs. This growth, she said, has only been achieved and sustained through the employment of staff who can be relied on to provide the highest level of service to clients. Her business philosophy is that everyone who wants to work deserves the opportunity to do so.

Of her current employees and one school-based trainee, 87 per cent have either a disability or one or more disadvantages. “I believe the best employees are those who are given the chance to thrive.”

Angela Brown with her son Dylan

Two staff have physical disability, one has intellectual disability, one is totally deaf and two have chronic illness. She has four Indigenous and seven mature-aged employees, 15 employees with mental illness, five with offending behaviour and five with history of substance abuse. Two others have experienced domestic or family violence and 15 were long-term unemployed.

School based trainee Max is one. He has cerebral palsy and epilepsy and when Help Employment and Training told her about Max, she knew he would be fine. There were some complex issues to start but Max is a vibrant, funny young person who wanted what other people want. And that is to fit in, have long-term employment and laugh with his work colleagues. “He gets all that and more in my office,” Brown said. “Rather than focus on what people cannot do, I prefer to focus on what they can do.”

She recognises that disability or disadvantage can be a barrier in the workplace, but instead of ignoring these issues, discusses them openly and respectfully with her staff, working with them to ensure that the workplace is as supportive as it can be. “I give all my employees a sense of belonging and the confidence to complete the tasks given to them and watching them grow is a huge reward.”

Angela Brown and Max

Carleigh is an example…she did not turn up for the first interview because of her anxiety and came a second time with a support person. “Carleigh said very little during the interview, but I explained how she would be supported working here. Two months later she is coming to work, laughs, has a conversation and recently went out on her own and did a job. “Yes, we boosted her along, trained her well and gave her the confidence she needed to complete this task. When she returned, she said… ‘I did it…I really did it!’ It was another wow moment to add to our many wow moments.”

Her message to other employers is that people living with disability do not want a handout, but a hand-up.

And then there is Nikki, a young girl who has struggled with addiction, mental health issues, long term unemployment and homelessness. “It would be an understatement to say she was desperate for some guidance and direction. She came into our work family where she was provided with tough love, strict work rules and accountable for her actions. Two years later she has unsupervised visits with her children, lives in a nice home, comes to work every day and has been cleaning for two years. And yes, she is a totally different person.”

Nikki said when she explained her circumstances to Angela there was understanding. “She worked around me not having a licence and working meant being able to support myself which was a huge step in my path to recovery and moving forward in my life. I have made lifelong friends.”

Angela Brown with Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce CEO, Todd Rohl.

According to Brown her message to other employers is that people living with disability do not want a handout, but a hand-up. “Employing people with disability is great for the person, the business and the wider community.”

Brown took out the Champion Employer of the Year Award at the 2021 National Employment Services Association Awards for Excellence in Canberra and the CEO Special Recognition Award at the 2021 HR Focus Business Awards for Excellence.

She is always looking for staff. For information go to: www. angiesdomesticduties.com.au