Faces of Baptcare | Meet Martin Dicker

We sat down to chat with Martin Dicker about his work at Baptcare in Tasmania, including his unofficial position as office comedian and social club organiser extraordinaire!

What is your current role and what does it involve day to day?

I am a Family Services Practitioner in the Foster and Kinship Care Program in Tasmania. This role sees me travelling all around the north of the state, providing support to carers of children in out of home care.

How long have you been working within the Family Services team at Baptcare and what drew you to working in this space?

I have been in the Family Services team for just over a year. I used to work in the Horizons program in the Mindset team. I have always loved the culture of Baptcare, so I was drawn back after a while out of the organisation. I love working with families. It can be a complex space to work in at times, but it can also be highly rewarding.

What do you like about working with Baptcare and in the family services space?

I really love our team and the culture and the growth you can see in families we work with. It’s amazing to see the changes a family can make to help it function better, meet the needs of the children or the parents/carers.

Can you share a particularly special work day you’ve had recently?

A particularly special day I had with a family recently was when a young person in care was elected to their school’s Student Leader Board for 2024. The happiness, excitement and pride they had made me shed a tear of joy!

Did you always want to work within the family services space and what are some other jobs you’ve performed in your career?

I have worked in a number of different areas since graduating as a social worker, including mental health, housing and family services. I have found there is so much you can learn from every area you work in that can be transferred into work in other spaces.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a firefighter and a pilot!

You’ve got a reputation as being the office comedian! What or who makes you laugh?

Haha… Lots of things make me laugh. When working with such complex situations, you learn to find the silver-lining. I really love sitting down and consuming a wide range of stand-up comedy, TV shows and podcasts. Some of my favourites include comedians Geraldine Hickey, Rhys Nicholson and Jimmy Carr, TV shows Utopia, Schitt’s Creek and Archer, and podcasts No Such Thing as a Fish and Simply the Jest.

You’ve also got a great wrap for being active in the social club. What made you get involved?

I love getting involved building the culture in organisations I work for. The Social Club in the Mowbray Hub holds a special place in my heart. We’ve had a lot of success hosting lunches, arranging Christmas parties and activities such as corn-hole (an indoor game) and drumming.

Can you tell us two surprising things about yourself?

I am a bird nerd and I love mountain-bike riding.

Please complete this question: my favourite weekend would include…

Time outside, on the couch and at Bunnings.

What are two things on your bucket list?

Bungee jumping and flying a plane.

Do you have a mentor or idol?

I don’t really have a specific person. I just enjoy talking with people and hearing about their lives. I find that everyone I meet has something interesting that I can learn from and connect with.