Matt Hughes: Supporting his team to thrive

For Esperance team leader Matt Hughes, his colleagues are his favourite part of working for HOPE.

“I don’t have any one best day working for HOPE, but I get to work with the best people,” he says. “My best day could be any random day that I’m with the team and we get to hear some good news.”

Wanting to make use of his background in psychology, Matt initially joined HOPE’s Goldfields South team as a part-time Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Prevention Officer.

Three years later, he is now the Esperance-based team leader for the Goldfields Community Alcohol and Drug Service (GCADS).

While no two days are ever the same, a typical day for Matt starts with bringing the team together for an informal catch up and daily briefing.

From there, he spends the day juggling meetings, community events and furthering his knowledge in order to support his team and HOPE’s clients to the best of his ability.

“I don’t like the title leader,” says Matt, when asked about his thoughts on what made a good leader.

“We walk alongside… leaders are people who are doing the right thing by their team, and doing all the little jobs in the background to make sure the people they work with can thrive.”

Supporting his team

He is determined to make sure that his team receives the same support and encouragement that he did, so they too can realise their full potential.

“The talent here is phenomenal, every single staff member brings something to the table.”

Thanks to their passion for the role, and the extensive efforts of Matt and the rest of the Esperance team, the Goldfields South GCADS team has now doubled in size, providing more AOD counselling within the last year than any year previous.

Hope Community Services provides a range of alcohol and other drugs services in Esperance and throughout the Goldfields.