Meet the Team – Liz Alderslade

How long have you been with DPS?

I have been with DPS for three years now, starting in April 2019, but it has felt longer with COVID-19 sending us to work from home for nearly five months!

What is your role?

As Acting Head of Digital Content I run the Editorial Team at HelloCare. I write content across all our brands, including the Aged Care Guide, Talking Aged Care, Disability Support Guide, Talking Disability, HelloCare and HelloLeaders, and coordinate the content written by our journalists. I also put together all of our newsletters and coordinate online campaigns for clients. Additionally, I manage the social media channels for each of our brands.

What are some of the things you’ve learnt in this role at DPS?

I am really glad that I have been able to develop and learn more about behind the scene publication creation. The work is very hands-on – I have learnt how to develop flat plans, edit whole Guides, and even visit the printers to check how the Guide is looking on the press.

I have also enjoyed the focus on digital content, which is definitely the way of the future, but I like that I am still able to dabble in news writing.

Why did you join DPS?

I have a lot of personal experience with the aged care and disability sector that made me interested in working at DPS. My grandmother died quite soon after her dementia diagnosis, so it was really hard seeing how my family struggled navigating that space. Additionally, my cousin has had a hard number of years getting a diagnosis for her disability. Adding in to that were issues accessing the NDIS with the nature of her disability. I really liked the idea of becoming more knowledgeable in these spaces – and I definitely understand these sectors a lot better.

What is the best thing about working for DPS?

I love knowing that the information and Guides we provide are making a difference in someone’s life. If the information we are providing is making someone’s journey into aged care or accessing the NDIS that much easier, then it is absolutely worth it.

What is your greatest achievement?

My greatest achievement so far has been coordinating and managing the production team to produce an Aged Care Guide when my manager was away. I was really proud of how I dealt with this challenge and managed to get the Guide all the way to the printers.

Additionally, during the height of COVID-19, it was really difficult to get the right information, right away. I created a lot of content to assist people in figuring out what they should be doing, explaining COVID-19, and how they can keep sane while in isolation. We had such an influx of readers to view this information that it crashed the website – twice!

Now for some lighthearted questions, where is the most interesting place you’ve been?

I went on a backpacking trip with a friend over five years ago which was a huge highlight for me. We started off in Portugal, where we walked the streets of Lisbon and visited the array of castles in Sintra. We headed over to Morocco for a tour, where we got to sleep under the stars in the Sahara Desert and visited the ‘Blue City’ – Chefchaouen – which was absolutely phenomenal. Following that, we ferried over to Spain, where we ate Tapas and enjoyed the Spanish flair in Granada and Seville. We even visited the filming place of Dorne in the Game of Thrones TV show, which was a royal palace in the city, also known as the Alcázar of Seville, it was the prettiest place! Then we finished off our trip with a tour in Italy, visiting the islands around Venice and stuffing ourselves with pizza and pasta. People aren’t lying when they say pasta is better in Italy!

What fictional place would you most like to go?

Middle Earth – I am a Lord of the Rings fiend. I remember watching the Lord of the Rings for the first time when I was a kid and I couldn’t get past the first part of the film because it was too scary. My sister recently explained to me that Peter Jackson started out in horror films, which explained why I was so scared originally! After getting over that hurdle, I fell in love with the whole trilogy. I finally got around to reading the books and was obsessed with the intricate lore that J.R.R. Tolkien created. Also, it’s the extended movie edition or not at all! 12 hours, baby!

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