Imagine More

For many decades, people with disability, family members, and allies have relied on the six member organisations of NACBO (CRU - Community Resource Unit Ltd.,Family Advocacy Belonging Matters Inc., JFA Purple Orange, Valued Lives, and Imagine More,.)
Unlike traditional service providers, these are family-driven, family-led organisations that empower families to help their loved ones with disabilities achieve meaningful lives embedded in their local communities.
NACBO's values-driven capacity-building approach has enabled countless individuals to experience the typical facets of life that national reform agendas strive to achieve, such as education, employment, independent living, and community participation.
𝐔𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:The recent ILC grant decision means that, without immediate intervention, all of these organisations will be unable to continue their critical work beyond June 2024. The loss of this evidence-based capacity-building model would be devastating.
𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: We are calling on you to join us in demanding urgent action from our government. Your support is crucial in ensuring that NACBO can continue to foster inclusion and opportunity for all.
𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬! Click the link below to send an email to our ministers. We urgently need your support to call on the government to ensure the continuation of this critical work. https://bit.ly/EmailyourMinisters_CriticalFundingforCapacityBuilding

Please help us sustain the vital work of the National Alliance of Capacity Building Organisations (NACBO).

The recent decision regarding the Information, Linkages, and Capacity Building - Individual Capacity Building 2024-2025 grant round threatens to halt decades of progress, impacting thousands of people with disability and their families across Australia.

We call on the government to ensure continued support for these organisations that currently work towards safeguarding the futures of thousands of people with disability.

Join us in demanding immediate action to secure a future of inclusion and opportunity for all.

https://sameclassroom.good.do/CriticalFundingforCapacityBuilding/EmailyourMinisters/

By filling out the email template on this page and clicking ‘send’, your letter will be emailed to the Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme of Australia, Bill Shorten, and the Minister for Social Services of Australia, Amanda Rishworth, today!

Following her presentation, thirteen-year-old author Laura Esplin is selling and signing her books.

The concurrent sessions were fabulous! They featured
- Laura and her mum, Bernadette
- Sarah Faulkner
- Helen Neale
- Jan Kruger
- Helen Connelly
- Kim Roots

We’re all enjoying some afternoon tea in readiness for the final session of Day 1.

Linda Hughes has just completed her wonderful presentation in which she answered the question, “What happens when I cark it?”

Here’s the visual summary, captured beautifully by Gavin Blake.

The Safeguarding the Future conference kicked off at 9:00 am and is well underway!

There are nearly 200 people in the room, and so far we’ve heard brilliant presentations from Josey McMahon and Margaret Ward.

Will you be at the Safeguarding the Future conference in Canberra next week? If you are, you'll get to hear about supported decision-making from several speakers, including Helen Connolly.

In her presentation, Helen will explain why it’s so important to plan ahead when it comes to safeguarding the future of a vulnerable person. She will briefly cover the following.

➡️ Decision-making identity and processes
➡️ How to inform decisions by first capturing the person’s values, will, and preferences.
➡️ Utilising support networks
➡️ The who’s who of the legislative landscape: Nominees, attorneys, guardians, and managers.

🎤 Planning ahead: Safeguarding decision-making
🎓 Helen Connolly
🌟 Safeguarding the Future conference
🗓️ Thursday-Friday, 23-24 May
📍 Hotel Realm in Canberra

See you next Thursday!

📢 Registrations close in two hours!

This is your final chance to secure your tickets for a brilliant two-day conference about safeguarding the future of people with disability!

Registrations close at 5:00 pm AEST today, Thursday, 16 May 2024.

https://imaginemore.org.au/what-we-do/conferences/safeguarding-the-future-conference/

Laura Esplin has already achieved a great deal at just 13 years of age. She is a self-published author of three books, a swimmer, a gymnast, a photographer, and an aspiring model. But she might have found herself on a very different life trajectory without the strength of her own determination and her mother Bernadette’s vision of what a good life could be, now and in the future.

Early on, Bernadette recognised the need to be intentional and proactive in building a good life for Laura. She advocated strongly for Laura to be educated in inclusive learning environments and has supported Laura in taking on many roles outside of school.

In this session, Laura and Bernadette will explain how inclusive schooling has laid the foundation for safeguarding Laura’s future. They’ll describe how they stuck with mainstream education even when the going got tough. You’ll also learn how Bernadette has helped the school embrace her vision of Laura’s great future by nurturing Laura’s interest in writing and supporting her in becoming an author.

🎤 Dream big!
🎓 Laura Esplin and Bernadette Esplin
🌟 Safeguarding the Future conference
🗓️ Thursday-Friday, 23-24 May
📍 Hotel Realm in Canberra

Tickets to the conference are available now on our website. Flexible pricing is available for people with disability and their families.

Registrations close today at 5:00 pm AEST, so don't miss out!

https://imaginemore.org.au/what-we-do/conferences/safeguarding-the-future-conference/

📢 Registrations close tomorrow: have you got your ticket yet?

Don't leave it to the last minute: secure your tickets and get ready to attend a brilliant two-day conference on 23-24 May about safeguarding the future of people with disability!

Registrations close at 5:00 pm AEST on Thursday, 16 May 2024.

https://imaginemore.org.au/what-we-do/conferences/safeguarding-the-future-conference/

For families with a son or daughter with disability, “What happens when I cark it?” is perhaps our biggest worry. It is what kept Linda awake at 2:00 am, worrying about her son Jacob.

How will Jacob be able to live a good life? What can I do to ensure he is happy, well, and safe? What is needed for him to have a sense of belonging, to contribute, to be valued and loved? Jacob needs help in many aspects of his life and support to make decisions and enact them. How will his life continue without me?

In what is definitely a “work in progress,” Linda will share some of her family’s insights and strategies as they plan for a safeguarded future for Jacob. You’ll hear how they started his circle of support, how they supported Jacob in living in his own place with an individualised living arrangement, and what they’re doing now to “hand over the baton.”

🎤 What happens when I cark it?
🎓 Linda Hughes
🌟 Safeguarding the Future conference
🗓️ Thursday-Friday, 23-24 May
📍 Hotel Realm in Canberra

Tickets to the conference are available now on our website. Flexible pricing is available for people with disability and their families.

Registrations close at 5:00 pm AEST tomorrow, Thursday, 16 May, so don't miss out!

https://imaginemore.org.au/what-we-do/conferences/safeguarding-the-future-conference/

🌟🌟 Can you believe it? Our final pre-conference webinar takes place tomorrow!

Darcy Elks will be joining us from the USA to address the critical topic of vision. This webinar will set the stage beautifully for the upcoming two-day conference next week.

🎤 Now is the time for vision
🎓 Darcy Elks
🌟 Safeguarding the Future pre-conference webinar 3
🗓️ Wednesday, 15 May 2024
⏰ 9:30 - 11:30 am
📍 Online via Zoom
🎟️ https://imaginemore.org.au/what-we-do/conferences/safeguarding-the-future-conference/

There is still time to register and watch Darcy live. All ticket holders will have access to the replays of the three pre-conference webinars until 5:00 pm on Friday, 24 May 2024.

Speaking of tickets, we're offering flexible pricing for people with disability and their families. And the full-price tickets for everyone else are excellent value for a two-day conference and three pre-conference webinars ✨✨✨

We hope to see you tomorrow!

Rebecca Altaffer’s upbringing was influenced by her parent’s vision for her sister, Mena, who had multiple disabilities. This included regular circle meetings held in her parents’ living room over a span of two decades. These gatherings ingrained in Rebecca a strong appreciation for intentional community, commitment, and the significance of trusting relationships in safeguarding her sister’s future.

Rebecca’s presentation draws upon her late father, Jeremy Ward’s writings on succession planning and her own experiences as a sibling. She will share insights into her family’s journey and their determination to safeguard the future of their loved ones.

🎤 Passing on the “How”: A sibling’s journey
🎓 Rebecca Altaffer
🌟 Safeguarding the Future conference
🗓️ Thursday-Friday, 23-24 May
📍 Hotel Realm in Canberra

Tickets to the conference are available now on our website. Flexible pricing is available for people with disability and their families.

Registrations close at 5:00 pm AEST next Thursday, 16 May, so don't miss out!

https://imaginemore.org.au/what-we-do/conferences/safeguarding-the-future-conference/

Launched today ✨🍾🥂
An animated explainer about Customised Employment!

In collaboration with Resourcing Inclusive Communities, CRU—Community Resource Unit Ltd., and supported by the Canberra Business Chamber, we're thrilled to launch our new animated series, which aims to transform inclusive hiring practices.

The videos are specifically designed for employers, families, schools, and services who are curious about or committed to creating inclusive, sustainable, and well-paid employment opportunities for people with disability.

What's in the Series?
The videos showcase the journeys of three local individuals thriving in roles tailored to their unique skills, covering the entire Customised Employment process from discovery to job support.

🔗 Why It Matters:
Traditional employment strategies often fail people with intellectual and developmental disability. Customised Employment provides viable solutions, presenting substantial opportunities for both individuals and businesses,

👀 Watch the series here: https://imaginemore.org.au/resources/employment-and-microenterprise/c-e-animated-video/

📢 Final week to register!

Don't leave it to the last minute: secure your tickets and get ready to attend a brilliant two-day conference on 23-24 May about safeguarding the future of people with disability!

Registrations close at 5:00 pm AEST on Thursday, 16 May 2024.

https://imaginemore.org.au/what-we-do/conferences/safeguarding-the-future-conference/

Margaret Ward raised her daughter Mena, who had multiple disabilities, to believe she could have a life like her brother and sister. In her thirty short years, Mena went to a regular school, worked in open employment, and lived in her own home for 11 years. She showed others what was possible with a strong and positive vision of a good life and a family willing to break with tradition.

This kind of self-direction requires work, commitment, and vigilance, and, as Marg will explain, it’s helpful to know some tricks of the trade.

In this presentation, Marg will share her secrets of self-direction, accrued through her personal experience and understanding of what makes a rich and full life for a person with a disability. She will encourage you to “get going and learn on the job”. By the end of this session, you’ll never underestimate the power of families with a positive vision and a plan.

🎤 The secrets of fabulous self-direction
🎓 Marg Ward
🌟 Safeguarding the Future conference
🗓️ Thursday-Friday, 23-24 May
📍 Hotel Realm in Canberra

Tickets to the conference are available now on our website. Flexible pricing is available for people with disability and their families.

Registrations close at 5:00 pm AEST this Thursday, 16 May, so don't miss out!

https://imaginemore.org.au/what-we-do/conferences/safeguarding-the-future-conference/

Don't leave it to the last minute: secure your tickets and get ready to attend a brilliant two-day conference on 23-24 May!

https://imaginemore.org.au/what-we-do/conferences/safeguarding-the-future-conference/

A Service for One is a family-owned and governed not-for-profit organisation that directly employs support for a family member with disability. Sheree Henley and her husband David have set up a Service for One around their son Isaac.

Isaac's Band Pty Ltd only provides services to Isaac. A board comprised of Isaac's family and friends who know him well assists with overseeing the operation of Isaac's Band Pty Ltd as well as building and safeguarding Isaac's good life.

As well as bringing about better quality, more reliable and stable support for Isaac, Sheree and David have found that this model has reduced their stress and workload. They are able to focus more on just being Mum and Dad now that they no longer have to manage the daily tasks around Isaac's supports. Having a governance board also puts succession planning strategies in place for when they are no longer around.

Sheree will outline what the Service for One model is, why she chose this model, how it provides safeguards, and the key steps to set it up.

🎤 Safeguarding Isaac's good life through a Service for One
🎓 Sheree Henley
🌟 Safeguarding the Future conference
🗓️ Thursday-Friday, 23-24 May
📍 Hotel Realm in Canberra

Tickets to the conference are available now on our website. Flexible pricing is available for people with disability and their families.

Registrations close at 5:00 pm AEST next Thursday, 16 May, so don't miss out!

https://imaginemore.org.au/what-we-do/conferences/safeguarding-the-future-conference/

🌟🌟 Our final pre-conference webinar is on next Wednesday, 15 May 🌟🌟

Darcy Elks will be presenting next week on the topic of vision. This will be another brilliant webinar, and will set the stage beautifully for the upcoming two-day conference later in May.

🎤 Now is the time for vision
🎓 Darcy Elks
🌟 Safeguarding the Future pre-conference webinar 3
🗓️ Wednesday, 15 May 2024
⏰ 9:30 - 11:30 am
📍 Online via Zoom
🎟️ https://imaginemore.org.au/what-we-do/conferences/safeguarding-the-future-conference/

There is still time to register and watch Darcy live. All ticket holders will have access to the replays of the three pre-conference webinars until 5:00 pm on Friday, 24 May 2024.

Speaking of tickets, we're offering flexible pricing for people with disability and their families. And the full-price tickets for everyone else are excellent value for a two-day conference and three pre-conference webinars ✨✨✨

We hope to see you next Wednesday!

A Micro Enterprise is a small business that offers a service or product based on a person’s interests, gifts, talents, and available resources.

A Micro Enterprise provides the owner with many benefits, including the opportunity to learn new skills, establish a valued presence in the community, meet people, and, of course, generate income and perhaps even profit.

As with all small businesses, establishing and operating a Micro Enterprise requires some effort. It’s definitely not a set-and-forget model! So how can families and allies safeguard a person’s Micro Enterprise for the future?

In her presentation at the upcoming Safeguarding the Future conference, Helen Neale will provide valuable insights, strategies, and tips on how to maintain and secure a Micro Enterprise by leveraging both paid and unpaid support. The session will give many practical ideas on who to engage, how to involve them, shared roles and responsibilities, and how to set up monitoring systems.

🎤 Safeguarding a Micro Enterprise for the future
🎓 Helen Neale
🌟 Safeguarding the Future conference
🗓️ Thursday-Friday, 23-24 May
📍 Hotel Realm in Canberra

Tickets to the conference are available now on our website. Flexible pricing is available for people with disability and their families.

Registrations close at 5:00 pm AEST next Thursday, 16 May, so don't miss out!

https://imaginemore.org.au/what-we-do/conferences/safeguarding-the-future-conference/

At the Safeguarding the Future conference (23-24 May), you'll hear from some extraordinary people with disability and their families.

Valen Litster, a man with a severe communication impairment, will share the stage with his mother, Ann Greer, and sister, Sally Aubrey.

At the beginning of their session, Valen will use a slideshow to tell the audience about his present-day life. Val was involved in developing the captions for the slide show with the support of his family and team.

Ann will discuss the past experiences, challenges, and strategies that have helped Valen become the happy man and good citizen he is today. With her signature candour, Ann will share her family’s questions and thoughts about Valen’s future when he will need help from people other than his parents.

Sally will discuss her thoughts on growing up in a family where lots of time and attention went elsewhere. She'll also discuss her not-yet-fully-formed plan for the future support of her brother and sister.

🎤 It's a long game: Planning for a great future for Valen in a constantly changing world
🎓 Ann Greer, Valen Litster, and Sally Aubrey
🌟 Safeguarding the Future conference
🗓️ Thursday-Friday, 23-24 May
📍 Hotel Realm in Canberra

Tickets to the conference are available now on our website. Flexible pricing is available for people with disability and their families.

Registrations will close next week, so don't miss out!

Learn more about the conference, our wonderful speakers and their fascinating presentations here:
https://imaginemore.org.au/what-we-do/conferences/safeguarding-the-future-conference/

Exploring employment for a person with disability?

Are visual resumes on your radar?

A visual resume captures images and information highlighting a person with disability’s interests and skills. When employers see photographic evidence of the person’s competencies, they are more likely to see how well they could fit into their organisation.

Developing an effective visual resume requires some thought and planning. Each image is carefully selected to authentically showcase the person’s skill set.

Visual resumes can be used to secure

✅ Work experience opportunities
✅ Paid employment
✅ Volunteering roles.

Here’s your opportunity to create a visual resume for your family member with disability with some guidance and support.

We’re running a free live interactive session for families on Thursday, 9 May. Come along to ask questions as you create a visual resume for your family member.

About the live interactive session on creating a visual resume

🗓️ Thursday, 9 May 2024
⏰ 12:00 – 1:00 pm AEST
😀 This is an interactive session, not a webinar
🖥️ Online via Zoom – you will receive the link when you register
🌟 Facilitated by Fiona McIntosh (Imagine More’s School to Work Project Coordinator)
🎟️ Free admission
✅ This session is for families only
⚠️ ‼️ This session will not be recorded
🔁 When you register to attend the live interactive session, you can also request access to the on-demand workshop replay.

Visit our website to learn more and register:
https://imaginemore.org.au/events/creating-using-visual-resumes/

🌟🌟 More pre-conference brilliance is on its way! 🌟🌟

Are you coming to tomorrow's pre-conference webinar featuring Jo Massarelli and Cathy Ludlum? They'll be discussing medical safeguarding and vulnerability in medical settings.

🎤 Medical Safeguarding: Addressing vulnerability in medical settings
🎓 Jo Massarelli and Cathy Ludlum
🌟 Safeguarding the Future pre-conference webinar 2
🗓️ Wednesday, 8 May 2024: That's tomorrow!
⏰ 9:30 am - 12:00 pm
📍 Online via Zoom
🎟️ https://imaginemore.org.au/what-we-do/conferences/safeguarding-the-future-conference/

There is still time to register and join us tomorrow morning!

We're offering flexible pricing for people with disability and their families, and the full-price tickets are excellent value for a two-day conference and three pre-conference webinars ✨✨✨

If you can't attend the full conference in Canberra, you can choose the pre-conference webinar ticket option. All ticket holders will have access to the replays of the three pre-conference webinars until 5:00 pm on Friday, 24 May 2024.

We hope to see you tomorrow!

🌟 Who is the person behind the behaviour, and what do they need? 🌟

People with behaviour that challenges those who support them are often misunderstood. Very often, all the focus ends up on their behaviour and none on what they really need.

The themes of Social Role Valorisation (SRV) are very helpful in establishing positive mindsets and assumptions about the person. This more positive focus can safeguard the person’s future and give them access to the good things of life just like everyone else.

At our upcoming Safeguarding the Future conference, Kane Morgan will explore the SRV themes that can provide a coherent foundation for decision-making now and into the future. This is sure to be a fabulous session!

The Safeguarding the Future conference will be held in Canberra over two days: Thursday and Friday, 23-24 May.

If you haven't got your conference tickets yet, there's still time! ⏰ Registration is still open. Visit our website for more information.

https://imaginemore.org.au/what-we-do/conferences/safeguarding-the-future-conference/

There is flexible pricing for people with disability and their families, and the full-price tickets are excellent value for a two-day conference.

Registration closes next week, so don't miss out on your chance to be in the room at this exciting and thought-provoking national conference!

A visual resume captures images and information highlighting a person with disability’s interests and skills. When employers see photographic evidence of the person’s competencies, they are more likely to see how well they could fit into their organisation.

Developing an effective visual resume requires some thought and planning. Each image is carefully selected to showcase the person’s skill set authentically.

Visual resumes can be used to secure

✅ Work experience opportunities
✅ Paid employment
✅ Volunteering roles.

Here’s your opportunity to create a visual resume for your family member with disability with some guidance and support.

We’re running a live interactive session for families on Thursday, 9 May. Come along to ask questions as you create a visual resume for your family member.

About the live interactive session on creating a visual resume

🗓️ Thursday, 9 May 2024
⏰ 12:00 – 1:00 pm AEST
😀 This is an interactive session, not a webinar
🖥️ Online via Zoom – you will receive the link when you register
🌟 Facilitated by Fiona McIntosh (Imagine More’s School to Work Project Coordinator)
🎟️ Free admission
✅ This session is for families only
⚠️ ‼️ This session will not be recorded
🔁 When you register to attend the live interactive session, you can also request access to the on-demand workshop replay.

Visit our website to learn more and register:
https://imaginemore.org.au/events/creating-using-visual-resumes/

Being connected to your neighbourhood 🏠🏘️🏡 has many benefits. However, many barriers prevent people with disability from connecting with neighbourhood spaces, groups, and initiatives.

At our upcoming Safeguarding the Future conference, Sarah Faulkner will describe the benefits of being part of one’s neighbourhood and explain how neighbourhood connectedness can act as a critical safeguard against social isolation, loneliness, and ill health.

You will come away with ideas on how to
🌟 support a friend, family member, or key loved one to engage more deeply with their neighbourhood
🌟 act as the bridge to increased neighbourhood connection.

The Safeguarding the Future conference will be held in Canberra over two days: Thursday and Friday, 23-24 May.

If you haven't got your conference tickets yet, there's still time! ⏰ Registration is still open. Visit our website for more information.

https://imaginemore.org.au/what-we-do/conferences/safeguarding-the-future-conference/

There is flexible pricing for people with disability and their families, and the full-price tickets are excellent value for a two-day conference.

We can't wait to see you at this important national conference!

🌟🌟 More pre-conference brilliance is on its way! 🌟🌟

Next Wednesday, in the second pre-conference webinar, Jo Massarelli and Cathy Ludlum will discuss Medical Safeguarding. This is sure to be a thought-provoking session for everyone who attends.

Visit our website to learn more about this upcoming session:
https://imaginemore.org.au/resources/stf-24/cathy-ludlum/

Yesterday, Janet Klees launched our exploration of safeguarding the future with the first of three pre-conference webinars.

Everyone who has registered to attend the two-day conference or the pre-conference webinar series will soon receive a link to the replay.

If you haven't got your tickets yet, no problem: Registrations are still open 🎟️🎟️🎟️ and, when you register, you'll receive the link to watch the replay of Janet's webinar. 🎉
https://events.humanitix.com/safeguarding-the-future-conference

There is flexible pricing for people with disability and their families, and the full-price tickets are excellent value for a two-day conference.

At the Safeguarding the Future conference (23-24 May), you'll hear from several speakers who are siblings of people with disability.

One of these speakers is Josey McMahon.

The lives of Josey and her twin sister Cathy diverged significantly at the age of 11. For the next 47 years, Cathy lived away from her family in a large institution. Many decades later, the sisters’ very different life paths eventually joined again.

In her session, you’ll hear how Josey rethought what was possible for Cathy and helped her move out of the institution and reconnect with their family and the wider world once again. Once Cathy moved into her own home, Josey supported her in becoming an active and valued member of her local community.

Cathy and Josey will explain what it took to convince others that Cathy would thrive in the local community with appropriate support. Now in their late sixties, they’ll also explain what they’ve put in place to safeguard Cathy’s future.

At its heart, this story is about personal change, reconnection, and the power of family and relationships.

🎤 Never too late to get a life
🎓 Josey McMahon
🌟 Safeguarding the Future conference
🗓️ Thursday-Friday, 23-24 May
📍 Hotel Realm in Canberra

Tickets to the conference are available now on our website. Flexible pricing is available for people with disability and their families.

Learn more about the conference, speakers, and presentations here:
https://imaginemore.org.au/what-we-do/conferences/safeguarding-the-future-conference/

At the Safeguarding the Future conference (23-24 May), we'll be exploring some of the legalities of safeguarding a person with disability.

We're excited to let you know that Stacey Bell from Snedden Hall & Gallop has agreed to present two sessions!

1️⃣ Session 1
🎤 What’s the Plan? Estate planning considerations for parents and carers

Stacey Bell will discuss the basic pillars of estate planning, what to consider when building your legacy and how to tailor the control mechanisms during incapacity or after death to suit your family’s needs.

From enduring powers of attorney to wills and trusts, Stacey will guide you through (almost) everything you need to know to build a legacy that will protect your family today, next week, and in 20 years’ time.

2️⃣ Session 2
🎤 How to set your Executor up for success

Having legally valid documents is only the first step in the estate planning process. Next is figuring out how it’s all going to work in the real world for your loved ones.

Following on from her earlier session, Stacey Bell will discuss some case studies to illustrate how a successful estate plan can work in practice. She’ll also explain how you can prepare in advance to make a difficult time a little bit easier for your loved ones.

🎤 What's the plan? + How to set your Executor up for success
🎓 Stacey Bell
🌟 Safeguarding the Future conference
🗓️ Thursday-Friday, 23-24 May
📍 Hotel Realm in Canberra

Tickets to the conference are available now on our website. Flexible pricing is available for people with disability and their families.

Learn more about the conference, speakers, and presentations here:
https://imaginemore.org.au/what-we-do/conferences/safeguarding-the-future-conference/