Project overview
We Care NSW is working with a small number of participants with an identified goal of transitioning from supported independent living to more independent living arrangements within the community through intentional capacity-building programs inside and outside of the home environment.
We Care NSW are doing this by creating individual care teams for participants who will help them in implementing evidence-informed, co-designed intensive skill building plans tailored to the participant’s individual needs and circumstances.
These plans are implemented as a part of the participant’s everyday life which allows capacity to be built naturally within the home and community over time.
Provider story
‘A more innovative way of delivering accommodation and supports’ is how Nicky Johnson, Community Services Manager with We Care NSW describes their project.
The Aboriginal owned and operated NSW-based supported independent living provider works primarily with Aboriginal participants that have a psychosocial disability.
They developed their project after identifying a gap where traditional shared supported independent living models do not always meet participant aspirations and goals to be independent
‘We wanted to find a more innovative way of delivering accommodation and community supports that build participant capacity,’ says Nicky.
‘Our project works with a small number of participants with an identified goal of transitioning from supported independent living to more independent living arrangements within the community through intentional capacity-building programs inside and outside the home environment.’
‘Our project model is to help build participant capacity so they can aspire to become independent.’
We Care Director, Todd Heard says their project is about providing choice. ‘The way we deliver supports can’t remain static,’ he says. ‘It needs to be able to change through the life of the participant’s plan.’
The project looks to develop a framework for a dialogue with participants.
It aims to create a tool with a shared language that other providers can use, that benchmarks wellbeing, determines objective measures and most importantly builds participant capacity.
Todd says the project is partly inspired by the Close the Gap commitments and thinking how We Care can contribute to improving the lives of Indigenous Australians.
‘Our project promotes independence and capacity building for our participants. It provides a safe environment to test new ways of doing things.’
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