Staff Matters – Issue 122

Staff matters September 29, 2017 - Issue 122 Week 12

Cherrywood Hub the Space to Grow

In This Issue 1 Cherrywood Hub the Space to Grow

2 Staff Profile Oran Park Kid Around Vocal Training for Afford’s Got Talent

3 Faisal’s Amazing Breakthrough

4 Afford Willing and Able As Employer of Choice Selfie Of the Week

12 months ago, Penrith Lifestyle Centre got the exciting news that they would be moving from Penrith CBD to our Cherrywood Super Site at Llandilo! At first clients were not sure what to make of this news – like any change it requires a bit of adjustment. Many had been attending the Penrith site for a long time, and even though it didn’t have a backyard or anywhere to walk around or relax, clients and staff learned to manage this and made it into the friendly hangout it was.

What a difference a year makes, now clients are all transitioned to the Cherrywood Lifestyle and are so much happier about all the extra space they have to grow and move.

The new site has safe and vast walking space, room to relax as well as a HUGE ‘backyard’ to exercise in and enjoy. All are certainly making use of the benefits of their new site, recently having started up their own garden program and washing their vans onsite for the first time. The clients have animals to admire and help look after – all say that they were happy before but they are in heaven now!

Have a Laugh

Reminder Don’t forget to send your/clients’ achievements, good news stories and photos to CELEBRATE@afford.com.au

Our clients’ faces tell the whole story, filled with the smiles and laughter.

Let your abilities soar www.afford.com.au

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September 29, 2017 - Issue 122

Staff Profile

Retchie Grant Salvador Lifestyle Assistant Afford Lifestyle Centre

Favourite Song: Rock ballads Favourite Movie: None Favourite Hobbies: Playing musical instruments, fishing and reading.

Favourite Foods: Anything Asian If you could be an animal what would you be: Philippine Eagle What is your dream holiday destination: Hawaii If you had the power what would you change about the world: Government systems What is the nicest thing someone has ever done for you: A word of encouragement.

If you had to teach something what would you teach: Faith and love.

Something no one knows about me: It’s staying confidential.

Oran Park Kid Around

Oran Park Lifestyle Centre clients just love to ‘kid’ around, so it was such a treat for them to have a lovely visit from a four-legged friend, Jess the goat. Jess the goat was brought to the Oran Park Lifestyle Centre for the day by John Zerafa’s family.

In a unique sensory experience, all clients enjoyed carrying, feeding, and patting Jess and they all had turns carrying Jess and playing with her. At the end of the day Jess was feeling comfortable, playing around in the site’s backyard and didn’t want to go home.

Jess’ visit was a wonderful opportunity for clients to engage with an animal and understand how to feed her and feel the texture of her coat.

Everyone had a fabulous day and all want to thank John Zerafa’s family for the opportunity to make a new un-baaah-lievable friend.

Vocal Training for Afford’s Got Talent

With the highly anticipated Annual Afford’s Got Talent fast approaching in November, clients at Chipping Norton Lifestyle Centre are eagerly prepping their vocals for the big night.

Each week they are practising their dance routines and singing songs to make sure they are set to light up the stage with their amazing talents.

Afford’s Got Talent is all the clients want to talk about - they cannot wait for November to come.

It is wonderful to see their happy faces and the excitement that the event brings.

There is still a lot of practice to be done to make sure that all have it right on the night, but it is such a fun and joyful journey for both staff and clients and everyone can’t wait to share a fun filled night at Afford’s Got Talent, where individuality comes alive through dance and song.

let your abilities soar

www.afford.com.au

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September 29, 2017 - Issue 122

Faisal’s Amazing Breakthrough Faisal is a Campbelltown Lifestyle Centre client who has sensory needs and OCD behaviours. He was referred for speech therapy through his NDIS Plan to improve his communication and interaction, but he found therapy challenging and was simply not interested in taking part.

There were very few activities that Faisal would engage in – one of his favourites is recycling – during therapy sessions, so our Speech Pathologist, Linda, started working with Faisal started thinking ‘outside-of-the-box’ to encourage his participation.

This new approach involved Faisal creating his own activities, such as observing people eating, when he had nothing else to do. At the first opportunity, Faisal would take their food and drink and put it in the bin, even if they had not finished.

Faisal’s sensory needs also saw him participating in some risk taking activities as he sought out stimuli to regulate himself.

The clinician chose ‘participation’ as a goal for therapy to encourage Faisal to recognise how his actions and words could influence other people. The clinician helped Faisal to realise that he could engage with people for friendship, for help to have his needs and wants met, and to understand that socialising with others could be fun!

This process is such an important first step for Faisal, because once he realises this, the real therapy can begin where he can learn important communicative functions, such as requesting food, drinks and what he wants to do.

Usually, when the clinician first approaches Faisal, he will smile but will stand up and go to sit somewhere else. On a recent meeting, the clinician approached Faisal, took his hand and asked him to follow her to the sensory room.

Faisal happily followed the clinician and was content to sit in the new massage chair when requested.

The clinician showed Faisal how to turn the chair on and watched as he delighted in feeling the kneading sensations for the first time.

The clinician used one word at a time and gestures to indicate to Faisal that he was having a ‘massage’. They discussed where the chair was ‘kneading’ and ‘vibrating’ his muscles. Faisal began imitating the clinician’s words and actions and laughing.

Since this breakthrough, the clinician has begun to imitate Faisal’s gestures, actions, sounds and words and then subtly put in her own gestures, actions, sounds and words for Faisal to imitate. Through this back and forward turn-taking, Faisal is learning early communicative skills needed for more purposeful interactions.

Faisal now actively engages with the clinician to match hand clapping and feet tapping sequences, as well as taking turns to copy each other’s ‘beat’ on the drums. Sessions are now enjoyable for Fasial as he pulls funny faces with the clinician and in the mirror and imitates silly noises with her.

For the first time since Linda began working with Faisal, he participated throughout the entire 30 minute therapy session. On two occasions, Faisal did leave the room after spotting something to ‘recycle’. On the first occasion, the clinician had to go back out into the common area, give Faisal her hand and request he follow her back to the sensory room. On the second occasion, Faisal spontaneously returned to the sensory room to continue his session with the clinician.

Linda spoke with Faisal’s sister after the therapy session, and she was thrilled with the progress they were making.

Faisal’s family and staff at Campbelltown Lifestyle Centre have agreed to all participate in these games of imitation – even ‘dancing’ to Faisal’s favourite songs on the radio.

This is a truly life changing breakthrough for Faisal and his family, and a true testament to the incredible impact of Afford’s Allied Health Team.

let your abilities soar

www.afford.com.au

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September 29, 2017 - Issue 122

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Afford Willing and Able As Employer of Choice A new Government-funded initiative, called project ABLE, has been established in response to the 70,000 new jobs expected to be created in the disability and care sector by 2019 under the full roll out of the NDIS.

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We’ve seen firsthand that introduction of the NDIS has greatly changed the disability landscape. Through interactive workshops for students in Years 10, 11 and 12, projectABLE inspires students to apply their passions, skills and abilities to enrich their lives and the lives of others by pursuing a rewarding career in the disability and community service sectors.

To date, the projectABLE initiative has been rolled out across 300 high schools. Nearly 8,000 year 10, 11 and 12 students across Australia have attended workshops on the expected impact of the NDIS on jobs in coming years. Through this initiative, it is predicted that one in five of all new jobs in Australia will be created in the disability sector.

As an Employer of Choice this new initiative presents many exciting opportunities for Afford to continue to lead the industry, and our organisation, to future growth.

Afford is positioned and ready to be at the forefront of providing employment opportunities for many of the Year 10, 11 and 12 students who will graduate in the coming years and as well as those who will go on to further studies in range of different and non-disability specific clinical and professional areas.

To continue our leadership in the disability sector we need to attract new, enthusiastic and dedicated people to join the Afford community and improve the lives of people living with disability – keep an eye out for our future superstars!

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Have a laugh

Sef the o

In the Selfie Above: Staff Member, Asghar Ali, with Belmore clients on a cultural tour at Bahi Temple.

Please send in your selfies

let your abilities soar www.afford.com.au