Northcott

🌟 Ready to launch your therapy career? Join Northcott's Therapy Graduate Program! 🌟 If you or someone you know is a recent therapy graduate passionate about making a difference, our program offers the perfect blend of training, support, and hands-on experience. 💼✨

Learn from industry experts, gain valuable skills, and connect with like-minded peers.

Read more about this exciting opportunity and start your career with us today! https://northcott.com.au/news/kickstart-a-therapy-career-with-northcott/ 💙

🌟 An estimated 1.2 million Australians have communication support needs. Speech Pathologists work to support people to overcome challenges that can impact their daily lives. 🗣️💬

Their role can include assisting a child with a speech delay 👶, implementing Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) solutions 📱, or providing strategies for someone with a swallowing disorder 🍽️.

🗓️ Speech Pathology Week runs from 25 August to 31 August with the theme “Everyone Communicates Differently." 🎉

As we celebrate Speech Pathology Week, it’s the perfect time to acknowledge and thank our dedicated Speech Pathologists who make a huge difference in the lives of those with communication and swallowing difficulties. 🙌❤️

Did you know Northcott offers speech pathology services across New South Wales and Queensland? 🌏 Visit our website to find out more or call 📞 1800 818 286 to book an appointment.

👉 https://brnw.ch/21wM8bX

🏅The Paralympics are here! 🏃

We are proud to share that 7 of the athletes and 1 coach competing in the Paris 2024 Paralympics have connections to Northcott! Their dedication inspires us, and we can’t wait to follow their performances and cheer them on.

Watch out for the competitors in these sports:

Wheelchair Rugby, Athletics, Table Tennis, Boccia, Swimming, Shot Put and Boccia.

We’ll be posting updates and celebrating their achievements throughout the Games. Join us in supporting these amazing athletes and celebrating their incredible journeys! 🌟💪

Book Week is in full swing at Northcott Toowoomba this week!

The theme for 2024 is "Reading is Magic" so we're celebrating the adventures that books bring into our lives. 🦄🧚‍♀️

What’s your favorite book? 📚

UNSW would like to learn from people with an intellectual disability about their experiences getting, understanding, and using information about staying healthy. If you choose to take part in this study, your experiences will be used to help them improve healthcare for people with intellectual disability.

You can take part in this study if you:
• Are 14 years of age or older
• Live in Australia
• Have an intellectual disability

Taking part involves talking to a member of the UNSW research team in an interview. You may decide to participate in one or more of the ways below:
• by yourself
• with a support person
• in group of other people with intellectual disability

UNSW can communicate with you in a different way if you prefer. To communicate is how you share your feelings or experiences with others.

You may decide to take part in one or more of the ways below:
• in person
• by phone
• online using programs like Microsoft Teams or Zoom
• in a different way that works for you, like drawing or using photovoice.

To communicate with a member of the research team about doing an interview please contact Maryann Barrington at [email protected] or 02 9065 4445.

For more information, including participation information statements, please go to the project website,

Preventive healthcare for people with intellectual disability Help needed for a co-designed research project to improve preventive health care for people with intellectual disability.

📚🎉 Attention all book lovers! It's that time of year again – Book Week! From August 17 to 23, we celebrate the magic of reading and its impact on a child's development. This year's theme, "Reading is Magic," reminds us of the endless possibilities and adventures waiting within the pages of a book. ✨

To celebrate Book Week, our Northcott librarian, Judi, recommends two children's books from Northcott's library catalogue. 📖

Here are Judi's top picks for Book Week:

🌈 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: Accessible Easier Edition 🌪️

Step into the magical world of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz with a new edition that brings the classic tale to life in an engaging format. This version features vibrant illustrations, sensory elements, and symbols to enhance reading comprehension and accessibility. Although it's a shorter adaptation of L. Frank Baum's beloved story, it delivers all the fun and excitement of the original. 🌟

https://www.everycherry.com/product-page/the-wonderful-wizard-of-oz-accessible-easier-edition

🚗 My Brain is a Race Car 🧠

For younger readers, we’re excited to introduce My Brain is a Race Car by author Nell Harris - Easily Inspired. Drawing from her own experiences with ADHD, Harris presents this picture book with a relatable and simple explanation of living with the condition. The book’s engaging narrative helps children understand ADHD without delving into adult discussions about treatment or diagnostic terminology.

You can also enjoy a read-aloud of this story on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfQoPgq1TL4

Happy reading everyone!

Did you know the Federal Government is reviewing the NDIS and making changes? They’re discussing with Opposition parties and others about which services will continue to be funded under the NDIS.

One area that may be affected is Sexuality and Relationships services. As a provider, Northcott can share information about the services we offer, but it's crucial for them to hear directly from people with disability about their experiences.

You can add your comments and share your experiences as part of the consultation process using this link: https://engage.dss.gov.au/consultation-on-draft-lists-of-ndis-supports/

Your feedback is important, and you can do so anonymously—you don't need to provide your name or contact details.

Please consider sharing your experiences to ensure that your voice is heard - the consultation period closes on Sunday 25 August.

Image source: Department of Social Services

The Raising Healthy Minds app is a FREE, personalised pocket resource to help you raise confident, resilient children. Co-designed with parents and experts and funded by the Australian Government, the app offers a mix of quick-read articles, videos and animations designed to support your child’s social and emotional wellbeing from birth to age 12.

Download from Google Play or the App Store or go to raisingchildren.net.au/rhm to learn more and raise a healthy mind🧠 😊

Ebony has been enjoying some all important time away at our Short Stay accommodation on the Gold Coast. 🏡

Here, she is enjoying the views from Q1 Tower which is a favourite activity for many of our guests. Ebony also went out for dinner and a movie during her stay. Back at Short Stay, she tried out some dinner and dessert recipes of her own in our large, accessible kitchen. 👩‍🍳

If you're interested in taking a break to gain more confidence or learn life skills to build your independence, enquire about Short Stays today. 👍

https://northcott.com.au/services/short-stay/

Supported Independent Living resident Dani, has recently started accessing Individual Services at Northcott.

Dani has been attending a day program at The Art Factory to nurture her skills in visual arts. Dani has recently showcased her work at a group exhibition where she sold 4 paintings. 🎨 🖌️

"Dani's transformation has been remarkable. Even though Dani tends to be a bit quiet, we could see her beaming with pride when she shared, ‘I sold four paintings!’ after the exhibition. Seeing her confidence grow like this warms our hearts—it's truly amazing," says Debbi. 🤩

The staff at Northcott continue to support Dani to explore her interests and finding the right program to suit her goals. Dani, who is legally blind is looking forward to her next new experience and is planning on signing up for snowboarding lessons in future! 🏂

If you are interested in receiving one-on-one support to achieve a goal or outcome in your home, community or workplace, enquire about Individual Support Services today. https://northcott.com.au/services/individual-support-services/

This Sunday is National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day. National Children’s Day gives all Australians the opportunity to show their support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and learn about the impact that culture, family and community play in the life of every child.

This year’s theme ‘Strong in Culture, Stronger Together ’ empowers children, making them feel proud of who they are and where they come from. Showing them that their culture is one of the most sacred, strong and important assets that they can have.

At Northcott in everything that we do we strive to enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to discover, unlock and unleash their potential.

As part of our commitment to children we run a therapy outreach program to support the children in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Kempsey.

Northcott therapists make regular visits to preschools in Kempsey to run developmental assessments, obtain NDIS funding for children in need of interventions, provide therapy for those on NDIS, support the community and create therapy plans for the on site Allied Health Assistant to implement.

Sonia, Northcott Occupational Therapist shares "The staff are fantastic and know their students and their circumstances well, which creates a safe space for us to build rapport. Uncle John is the cultural teacher and Aunt Vicky is the language teacher. They have been teaching us about the culture and language in their community and have spoken at great lengths of the importance of taking back their culture and supporting their community."

The Therapy Outreach service in Kempsey is supported by The Profield Foundation and Collier Charitable Fund.

Read more about our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander connections. https://northcott.com.au/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-connections/

If you're attending the Sydney Disability Expo, come and say hello to Maryann, Kristiarne, Rachel, Tim, Nicole, Necia and Sharni. 😀 The team are at booth #148 today (Friday 2 August) and tomorrow (Saturday 3 August) from 9am – 3pm.

See you there 👋

Northcott customers across North West Sydney have been celebrating significant milestones in their Life Skills and Work & Study programs.

From special ceremonies, BBQ parties to graduation events, participants have proudly marked their achievements in completing various courses.

To find out more about our programs, call us on 1800 818 286.

Read more about their achievements here: https://northcott.com.au/news/celebrating-success/

Northcott Property Spotlight time!🔴📣

This one-bedroom villa in Sydney’s outer south west, Banksia offers independence, comfort and peace of mind.

It is built to accommodate residents with high support needs, and for people with all accessibility requirements. The functional home features a spacious kitchen and is powered by the latest in assistive technology. It also features large private courtyards and a shared gated, maintained garden. 🏡

Want to learn more about this property or explore other vacancies? Check out our property newsletter 👉
https://createsend.com/t/i-432555832C9914892540EF23F30FEDED

Hugh, 9, has been receiving speech and occupational therapy at Northcott Toowoomba for over a year to build his communication and motor skills. 🌟

Hugh’s family discovered an iPad app called Clicker Writer which has been a great addition to Hugh's therapy supports in improving his writing. ✍️

Knowing that the app made a difference for Hugh, the family provided licenses for all Northcott therapists through their local company, Meat Cellar.

Keep reading 👉 https://northcott.com.au/news/sharing-the-support/

NAIDOC Week 2024 was so much fun and we loved supporting our customers to take part in the celebrations. ❤️💛🖤

Check out the activities we took part in to honour and celebrate the culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples:

⚫ At Life Skills in North Parramatta, we created hand art pieces to learn about Indigenous culture and placed these in the garden.
⚫ In Ballina we attended the annual NAIDOC Celebration walk and enjoyed playing touch at Jarjum NAIDOC sport & stalls day.
⚫ In Taree we got crafty with canvas painting, hair weaving and bracelet making. We also attended community events on Biripi Land and Worimi Country where customers tasted Indigenous delights such as crocodile and emu.

A huge shoutout to everyone who got involved this year!

The Skills 4 Life service in Queensland recently organised a visit to the Loganlea Fire Station to provide teenagers with the preparation and confidence they need to respond in an emergency situation. ☎️ 🆘

The visit included a personal tour of the fire station, where participants interacted with local emergency first responders and even tried operating the fire hose. 🚒👨‍🚒

The fire department generously provided additional resources to support ongoing education within Skills 4 Life. Through real-world experiences like these, Skills 4 Life supports participants of different ages to confidently navigate life's challenges and to increase their community engagement.

Thank you to all the crew at Loganlea Fire Department for giving the Skills 4 Life participants a day to remember! 🤩

Interested in joining Skills 4 Life? Contact us today to learn more about our upcoming sessions and how your teen can benefit from this empowering program. https://northcott.com.au/services/skills-4-life/

Our Hornsby Work & Study service is building local employer capacity! 💼 👩‍🏭

A Hornsby Meals on Wheels representative recently accepted our ‘employer showbag’ which supports employers to understand the benefits of employing someone with a disability. They also support employers to improve their recruitment process to ensure they don’t rule out quality candidates prematurely. 👏

The showbag, which includes our 2024 calendar ‘How disability confident is your workplace?’ and our employer information booklet ‘Employment is Inclusion – Building Workplace Confidence’ was made possible by a generous grant from Citi Foundation. Citi Australia🤩

By providing employers with the necessary tools and resources to aid in recruitment processes, we're improving employment outcomes for people with disability in our communities.

To learn more about our Work & Study service, visit our website https://northcott.com.au/services/work-study/

Would you deny young people with intellectual disability the opportunity to learn about consent in a way that suits their understanding?

At Northcott, we believe in the fundamental right of every individual to receive comprehensive sexuality and relationship education, regardless of disability.

Healthy sexuality and relationships are crucial for everyone's well-being, including people with disability. That's why sexuality and relationship education services which cover consent education, therapy, and support for sexual health are not just beneficial but essential for autonomy and safety.

We advocate for inclusive services that:

✅ Ensure everyone can engage in consensual, healthy relationships.
✅ Empower individuals to make informed decisions about their bodies.
✅ Protect against all forms of violence, including online sexual violence and exploitation.
✅ Provide education about sexuality in a manner that's accessible and understandable.

Join us in advocating for equal access to resources that empower people with intellectual disability to make informed choices.

Visit our website to read more about why sexuality and relationship education is critical for everyone https://northcott.com.au/news/would-you-ban-this/

Happy NAIDOC week! ❤️💛🖤

We celebrate NAIDOC Week this year with Vicki and Sonia, two Aboriginal sisters who are long-term customers of Northcott. Traveling from Quirindi to Tamworth, they access Short Stays and participate in our Life Skills program. Here they develop their practical and communication skills and also enjoy community outings and activities like crafts and bowling. 🍳 🎳

Vicki and Sonia enjoy connecting with their community and culture. Sonia shares her enthusiasm for NAIDOC Week, where she and Vicki are supported to march in Tamworth’s parade every year, celebrating Aboriginal culture alongside family and friends. "It's a special time to be with our Aboriginal family," says Sonia.

👉 Read the full story to discover how we've supported Vicki and Sonia to live the life they choose.
https://northcott.com.au/news/supporting-vicki-and-sonia-to-get-out-in-the-community/

🏠 Learn more about Short Stays. https://northcott.com.au/services/short-stay/

We recently held our first-ever Inclusion Fest, celebrating diversity and inclusion at Northcott. 🌟 🎉

The week-long event featured activities such as watching "Celebrating Diversity: The Northcott Story" and creating diversity walls. A webinar with our CEO Liz and Angel Dixon from the Attitude Foundation discussed workplace bias and disability inclusion. ♿ 🌏

Each day of the fest focused on different aspects of diversity, including rich diversity, pronouns and gender diversity, cultural connections, disability awareness, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' contributions. The event highlighted the energy, creativity, and passion of the Northcott team, emphasising the importance of building a workplace where everyone feels valued and respected.

To everyone at Northcott - your energy, creativity, and passion for diversity made Inclusion Fest a huge success. Together, we're building a workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. 🤩

Watch the video below to see how Northcott celebrates diversity and inclusion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4eqSk2QML4

Winter in Illawarra has been buzzing with activity, especially among our awesome customers! 🤩

David and Yusuf, along with their support worker Jasmine, recently hit up VIVID in Sydney to experience the amazing colours and designs that lit up Sydney harbour. 🌉

Life’s more exciting when you’re having new experiences with others. Whether it’s going to special events like VIVID, or taking part in community activities, our recreation services for adults 18+ are a great way to make new friends, build social skills and try new activities with support. 🕺

Speaking of trying new things, housemates Brandon and Blake decided to check out drag bingo on Monday nights.

“All the customers and staff had a great time and a few naughty laughs. Nobody hit the jackpot but they so enjoyed a great night out and some entertainment, all are keen to go again soon,” says Amanda, Northcott Service Coordinator.

Stay tuned for the launch of our new Community Hub in Dapto! This purpose built site will allow people with disability to access services in this fully accessible centre. The Community Hub will allow us to bring together all our current services in the Wollongong area under one roof. 🏢 💛

If you're keen on making new friends and having fun with others who share your interests, check out our website https://northcott.com.au/services/recreation/

Northcott’s popular Healthy Chef Program is back for the winter school holidays! 🍳🥦

We're thrilled to inspire children and teens with disability to dive into the world of cooking and healthy eating. Our program features two engaging sessions where participants learn to whip up delicious, nutritious school lunches and afterschool snacks in no time. 🍲✨

One of the best parts? Discovering creative ways to add veggies into everyday favourites. 🥦🍕

Past participants have come into the program hesitant to try different flavours and textures, yet have surprised their parents by developing a taste for new ingredients that they cooked during the program. 🌽🧀

Curious to learn more about Northcott's Healthy Chef Program? Head over to our website for the full story.

https://northcott.com.au/news/healthy-chef-program-empowers-kids-and-teens-with-disability/
🌟

As we approach the last few days of our winter campaign, we want to thank you for your incredible generosity and support. In this light-hearted picture, you’ll see Gabrielle and her mum laughing heartily as they share their views on Northcott’s Work & Study and how the service has supported Gabrielle.

Moments such as these remind us why your support is crucial in making services like Work & Study available to people with disability. You still have time if you’re looking to make someone’s life brighter.

Please consider donating before 30 June 2024. A big Thank You to all!

https://donate.northcott.com.au/winter-campaign-2024

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Northcott Property Spotlight time! 🔴 📣

This accessible single-storey disability home in Lloyd has four bedrooms, two bathrooms and three different living areas.

It features a backyard with an accessible al fresco area and raised garden beds. Residents enjoy socialising, attending community activities and getting out and about. There is a vehicle available to facilitate outings.

There is currently 1 vacancy, so make the move towards greater independence. 🙌

Check out our website to learn more and submit an enquiry!

https://northcott.com.au/housing/lloyd-127/

The premiere of the film Peaches and Cream at Northcott head office was a great success! 🎞️ ⭐

Bus Stop Films Director Dianna La Grassa, producer Chidiebube Uba, and lead actor Brandon Fairley spoke about the film's importance for educating young adults with intellectual disability about sexting.

Lead actor and Northcott customer Brandon highlighted the need for people with intellectual disability to receive support and education when it comes to exploring their sexuality, sharing "People with disability are often vulnerable when it comes to navigating online communication and can be prone to blackmailing and extortion. However, we should be able to explore our sexuality in a safe and positive environment. To do so we need either our parents to assist with providing education on that, or our support workers, disability networks, friends or extended family."

The film can be watched on our website, along with an educational resource that explores the common issues young adults should consider about sexting.

https://northcott.com.au/news/peaches-and-cream-premiere-a-triumph-in-disability-awareness/

The Peaches and Cream inclusively made short film and accessible resources were made possible by support from the auDA Foundation and The Profield Foundation.

Jamie is a resident at Northcott’s Parramatta housing who is embracing life with a unique perspective. Despite facing challenges, Jamie has pursued his passion of becoming a businessman, selling his creative textiles and crafts. 🤩

Jamie says, “I was looking for an activity to keep myself busy, so I started crafting. My mother also encouraged me to make crafts.”

For many years, Jamie has dedicated his time crafting vibrant and captivating textiles. His creations include a range of carefully designed bags, scarves, and other products that showcase his artistic flair. 🧶

Read on to discover how Northcott has supported Jamie to turn crafting into a business.
👉
https://northcott.com.au/news/crafting-dreams-jamies-journey-from-passion-to-business/