Issue 1, February 2013

What’s My Name?

Happy 2013!It’s a new year and it’s with great excitement that we introduce you to our 2013 Client Ambassadors…

Meet Kirsty and Talia

“As a family we have no support network, we do all this together as a unit of four. Having Northcott in our lives has really taken pressure off, not just with helping us have access to services and equipment for Talia, but also helping by getting my son into a young carer program to help him get some time out from mum and big sister.”

Meet Jamie

“Since being more involved with Northcott it has had a huge impact on me. I have wanted to talk more openly about living with a disability. I have also wanted to talk more to anyone who is living with a disability as I have found that we all have found ourselves in similar situations regardless of the different challenges we all face.”

Meet Georgia“I only started utilising the services that Northcott provides in my teens, yet it introduced me and my family to a world where disability is normalised to such an extent that it’s not an issue. To the tirelessly independent, but socially awkward

12-year-old that I once was, it provided much needed social interaction and a reprieve from doing battle with the world, trying to overcome the stigma of having a physical disability.”

It is thanks to you that Talia, Kirsty, Jamie and Georgia can speak so highly about the support they have received from Northcott and its impact on their everyday lives. They are wonderful examples of the difference that can be made together.

Stay tuned, they will be spending the year sharing their experiences of disability to break down common stereotypes in the community, and we’re looking forward to sharing their Ambassador journey with you.

Courtesy of CareCareers

Message from the CEO

Welcome to the first Northcott News for 2013!

This year will be a very exciting one for everyone interested in improving the lives of people with disabilities, with the launch of the National Disability Insurance scheme in several places across Australia from July, including in the Hunter in NSW, and in the ACT. Northcott hopes to be very involved in this new way of delivering services.

I was fortunate to attend the Australia Day address by Kurt Fearnley this year, where the great Paralympian spoke about the

disadvantage suffered by people with a disability in Australia, and ably demonstrated how much can be achieved when these members of our society are given opportunities.

At Northcott we are committed to giving every individual we touch the opportunity to achieve in their own way, and that is why we concentrate on making our services as ‘person centred’ as possible. To this end we are renaming this newsletter, and inviting you to be involved in this.

Thank you for all your support in the past, and I look forward to a bright 2013 with you.

Kerry Stubbs Chief Executive Officer

You may have noticed the strange title on this newsletter… the reason? We need your help!

In line with our rebranding, to make this newsletter more person centred and to ring in the New Year, we are taking this

opportunity to revamp what was known as “Northcott News”. After all, here at Northcott we are all about supporting choice and opportunity. We are looking for a name that reflects this from the people who experience and witness this kind of support.

Just send your ideas to us in the reply paid envelope included with this newsletter, or email us at fundraising@northcott.com.au

We’ll share the new name and the brains behind it in our next edition. Happy naming everyone!

What’s my name?

Well done to the class of 2012!Our Transition To Work (TTW) programs aim to support young people with disabilities in gaining new skills and experience to enable them to better enter the workforce. In line with Northcott’s person-centred philosophy, TTW is all about empowering clients to build a future of their choosing.

Each year, graduation ceremonies are held for those who have completed their TTW program. Last year, we had ten students, including Johnny and AJ (pictured), graduate from our Parramtta program.

From all of us here at Northcott, well done everybody and all the very best for your no doubt bright futures!

Johnny and AJ graduate

Kim and Peter at home

Kim and Peter

on their wedding day

Love knows no limits

When you find that special person, there’s no telling what can happen and just what’s possible.

It was eight years ago when 25-year-old Kim and Peter met and fell in love. Kim lives with spina bifida and Peter lives with spinal muscular atrophy. They are both wheelchair users and were living

with their parents, who were their primary carers, until your support changed their lives forever.

It can be both scary and exciting to move out of home and begin to live with a partner. For people with disabilities, like Kim and Peter, there can be an extra layer of stress as they need to not only find a home that is accessible, but they also need to ensure that they learn the necessary life skills to support themselves and each other – on top of trying to get through that teething period of getting used to each

other’s habits, as Kim explains:

“Getting used to each other’s habits has been interesting – Peter snores really badly!”

“And I couldn’t believe how much make up Kim has! We also have completely different sleeping patterns. Kim likes to go to bed at 11pm, I’m more of a night owl and don’t go to bed until 3am sometimes” rebuts Peter.

Just like every couple, Kim and Peter got through it to find a stronger bond than ever before. Thanks to supporters like you, they were able to realise this in a home of their own at Northcott’s Independent Living Centre at Merrylands and with the support of a Northcott Occupational Therapist.

“It was really difficult when we first moved in together; we particularly

found cooking, laundry and budgeting very hard. But thanks to the staff at Northcott we’ve been able to get to grips with these life skills and it’s been great learning these new things together as a couple,” told Peter.

In fact, the couple have grown so much together that 18 months ago Peter proposed and they married in November 2012.

“Our wedding day was the best day of our lives. It was wonderful having all our friends and family around us to celebrate because

they have all been so supportive over the years. It was particularly wonderful that the church that we got married in had recently been renovated and the wider aisle meant that both our wheelchairs could fit down it together, enabling us to leave the church side by side after the service,” shared Kim.

We just wanted to share this beautiful story of what your support has made possible as Valentine’s Day passes us.

Here at Northcott, we support more than 11,400 people with disabilities and their families to live the lives they choose. This is only made possible with the assistance of people like you.

If you, like us, want to help more people like Kim and Peter have access to all of the tools they need to live independently perhaps you’ll celebrate Valentine’s Day with us by donating to our appeal.

It’s easy! You can make your kind and generous donation via:Online – www.northcott.com.au Phone – 02 9890 0132 Post – fill in the enclosed donation form and return it using the enclosed reply paid envelope.

We hope your Valentine’s Day was filled with just as much love as Kim and Peter’s! Visit www.northcott.com.au to see the film of Kim and Peter.

“Thanks to the staff at Northcott we’ve been able to get to grips with these life skills and it’s been great learning these new things together as a couple.”

Meet Team PSOS

We have a lot of very dedicated people working at Northcott. We will be using this section of the newsletter to introduce you to some of the teams that allow us to fulfil our mission of building an inclusive society.

Tell us briefly about what your service does… Our service helps children, young people (0-18 years) and their families in reintegrating into their homes, schools and community following spinal cord injury or disease.

We look after children and adolescents all over NSW, so it’s not uncommon that we visit someone’s home by catching a plane!

What is the most rewarding thing about working in your service? We love:

• To see when a child is able to get around their home or school environment independently for the first time after helping them access the right piece of equipment.

• When a young person is able to be more independent because they have been working hard at their physio program to get stronger and fitter.

• Working together with school teachers to make sure that students with spinal injuries are getting the most out of their education.

• Helping kids be kids, encouraging them to play, learn and dream about the many possibilities for their future.

“We love helping kids be kids, encouraging them to play, learn and dream about the many possibilities for their future.”

Our journey into the new worldIt has been a big few months of reform in the disability sector!

The Federal Government has committed to the roll out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and thanks to supporters like you, NSW was one of the first states to come to an agreement on funding the scheme, that will mean more choice and control over funding and access to services for people with disabilities and those who care for them.

Northcott is looking forward to this new world, which includes individualised and self-managed funding packages.

“At the moment we are redesigning the organisation to ensure it can deliver the services that clients will want under the new NDIS. We are investing in new ideas, improved systems, better evidence and research. The first launch sites for the new scheme start in July 2013 and we are looking forward to it,” said Kerry Stubbs, CEO of Northcott.

While the NDIS is a long-awaited reform which will change the lives of many, this does not make your support any less important. There will be services not covered as part of the new scheme which are essential in meeting client’s needs, and it is because of this that Northcott will continue to need support from people like you. We will continue to keep you informed as this journey for our clients, families, staff and supporters unfolds.

The Paediatric Spinal Outreach team (PSOS)

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Here’s To You… Management Consultancy International

We are very lucky to have so many amazing supporters and each edition we will be shining the spotlight on one of them.

We hope you enjoy getting to know a bit more about Management Consultancy International thanks to their Marketing Manager, Jenna Meyerson.

Tell us a bit about your business… Management Consultancy International consults to top organisations on their learning and development needs. We are a multi award-winning, ISO9001 Certified Registered Training Organisation and provide qualification programs in a wide range of business subject areas.

In what way/s have you supported Northcott? Management Consultancy International has been providing nationally-recognised qualifications to Northcott’s staff for the past one and half years. Northcott staff receive preferential places on courses and discounted course fees. When we conduct courses off-site, Northcott’s training facilities

are our preferred choice. We also give donations to Northcott’s appeals and are attendees of their events, such as their annual Cricket Legends’ Lunch.

How long have you been supporting Northcott and what made you choose to? We recently started supporting Northcott because many of our staff are passionate supporters of their cause. The excitement the Northcott staff have for the difference they make is infectious – we couldn’t say no!

What do you think about Northcott’s mission to “build an inclusive society”? Northcott’s mission mirrors what we like to train our leaders to do, to achieve greatness – set a Big Hairy Audacious Goal!

Their mission is admirable and wow, what a difference it has made to our society.

Why do you think others should support Northcott? Northcott staff are always searching for better ways to do things and new tools to make their contribution to the organisation even better.

A SHINING successThere were plenty of laughs and even the odd tear (of joy) on Monday, 3 December as clients from Northcott’s Community Participation (CP) Program lit up Parramatta at their annual SHINE showcase, held for the first time at Riverside Theatres.

From the “Chips and Gravy” parody of pop song “Call Me Maybe” and an entertaining insight into sports via the lens of a camera strapped to a wheelchair, through to presentations about how technology has changed the lives of some clients and an inspiring song completely written and professionally recorded by the group, SHINE proved to be bigger and better than ever before in 2012.

This event showcased exactly what your donations are helping us to achieve – independence and confidence for our clients so that they are able to celebrate their abilities in the way they choose. Thank you to everyone who was able to come along.

“Having a disability doesn’t mean we can’t do things, it just means that we find different ways to do what normal people do every day.”Omar Deeb, SHINE performer.

Corporate supporters Management Consultancy International

A summer to remember, thanks to youWe’re excited and grateful to announce that together, we have raised more than $63,000 for our Summer Appeal.

Thank you so much to all of you who gave generously, and who sent messages of support to Kristy, Jacob and Chithic! All funds raised from our Summer Appeal will go towards our Recreation service, which each year provides hundreds of children and adults living with a physical disability with the opportunity to participate in sporting and social based activities of their choice.

“It’s one thing to donate, but to take the time to write messages to us is amazing. They were all so encouraging,” said 15-year-old Kristy Pond, who grew up participating in Northcott’s interschool adapted sporting carnivals and has returned from competing in her first Paralympics.

Kristy is starting year 11 this year and what she really wants to do after competing at such a high level is to just have some fun!

Through the Summer Appeal, we also introduced you to 18-year-old Jacob Cross who has accessed our Recreation service throughout

the years. He represented Australia last year in the Powerchair Football World Cup in Paris and once again in the Asia Pacific Oceania Championship.

As for 11-year-old Chithic Machar who is now a repeat competitor at Northcott’s sporting carnivals, he still dreams of competing in Rio 2016 and excitingly, he has recently had the opportunity to train with Paralympians at Sydney Olympic Park with his brand new racing wheelchair.

Exciting news: Northcott has entered the world of app development!

Called “Plan With Me”, the app

is a first-of-its-kind, user-friendly

and interactive way to assist

people with disabilities and the

people who support them better

understand and plan when

managing support needs. The

end result is a Behaviour Support

Plan which can be emailed out

for printing and sharing.

Plan With Me is an example of

Northcott’s person centred practice

in action. The app is designed

so that individuals have just as

much input in their plans as

the staff who support them. By

taking this approach, staff take

a step away from being “the

expert” dictating plans. Instead

the app allows them to more

effectively work with clients on

developing strategies that they

better understand and can take

more ownership of, thus making

implementation of the plan, along

with the opportunity for positive and

sustainable change, more likely.

The app is now available on

iTunes, simply search “Plan

With Me” to start using it today.

Mewith Plan

1800 818 286 www.northcott.com.auJoin us onlineCall us Visit us

Jacob scores in the World Cup

Chithic having a ball