One2One Grapevine – August 2020
One2One Staff Excellence Awards
At One2One we like to acknowledge and celebrate our staff achievements through our Recognition of Excellence Awards.
In July, the following staff were nominated for their outstanding work:
- Ediola Comi, nominated by Michael for her instrumental teachings and helpful nature.
- Rhys Lima, nominated by Sonya for his reliability and patience in being a mentor to Ryan and teaching him important life skills.
- Wangmo, nominated by Michael and Davina for her amazing role in helping Davina reach her goals.
- Charlie Mutambala, nominated by Walter and Robyn for bringing stability to the team and building a respectful and comfortable relationship with Robyn.
You can read more about the recipients and their amazing efforts on the One2One Facebook page.
LAC in the Community – Mission Australia
The Mission Australia Local Area Coordination Service is available to answer your questions about the NDIS and to help link you to mainstream and community supports. Local Area Co-ordinators will be available each week to answer your questions about the NDIS on an individual basis.
LAC in the Community is now available in the following North-East Regions of the Perth metro area:
- Midvale
- Mundaring (Boya)
- Ellenbrook
- Bassendean
- Lockridge
- Bullsbrook
If you’d like to read more about what information they can help you with and when to attend, you can download the following flyers to plan your visits:
LAC in the Community – Swan and Mundaring
LAC in the Community – Bassendean
WA Industrial Relations Law Reform
Many people, in WA, privately employ their own support workers. Some of these workers fall outside the WA State Industrial Relations system. This is because they are providing a “domestic service in a private home”.
The WA government is proposing that the WA Industrial Relations law that allows this, be changed to remove this as an option. If you would like more information about the proposed changes and why, please click here.
WAiS has been working with Minister Bill Johnston’s office exploring the impact of these changes on people and families employing their own workers and, in particular, on co-residency arrangements. The Minister’s office understands our concerns and is open to continuing these discussions.
If you would like to read the Bill and it’s Explanatory Memorandum please click here.
Disability at Work – Virtual Conference
The NDS Disability at Work and Workability International Virtual Conference will be held on 13 October 2020.
The Conference program includes presentations on a range of topics reflecting the consequences of recent unprecedented events on various employment models worldwide. The virtual format will enable extensive direct input from conference delegates while also allowing opportunities to view all presentations on demand until 12 November 2020.
Content will include:
- Utilising technology and digital platforms to ease employment barriers and allow people with disability to transition into mainstream employment
- Innovative application of digital technology in supported employment
- Marketing and promotions for supported employers in uncertain times
- Micro businesses for people with disability
- Development of online training modules for employees with disability
- Innovative marketing campaigns that provide employers with insight and tools that enhance their perceptions about employing people with disability
- Facilitating work experiences for youth in transition from school to work
- Concepts, strategies and action steps that enable partnering with families to understand the youth transition journey to employment
- The ongoing evolution of the supported employment model
- Addressing the digital skills gap for jobseekers with disability
You can read more about the conference here, or submit an expression of interest for a funding application for the conference here.
Bernie
Hi I’m Bernadette – l like to be called Bernie.
I enjoy living independently and my main goal is to maintain this as long as I can. I like to be busy doing different activities like pottery, flower arranging and card making. I am happy to try new things which has recently included yoga. Participating in activities allows me to get out of the house, keep busy and spend time with friends.
One of my sisters lives down south in Denmark and I like visiting her whenever I can. I travel each year to various places throughout Australia attending retreats for the Metabolic Dietary Disorder Association (MDDA). I enjoy creating various recipes for myself and others with PKU to be printed in the MDDA newsletter.
An interesting fact about me is I like to sing karaoke.
Healthy Mind: Online Mental Health Tool
Healthy Mind is an easy read online tool to fit perfectly with the needs of people with an intellectual disability.
Following a successful feasibility trial, with input from people with ID and a range of health experts, this program is now widely available for implementation.
Healthy Mind is aimed at adults with a mild to borderline ID.
Some examples of the Healthy Mind modules are:
- Breathe and relax – a series of short videos on how to breathe deeply and relax your body
- Taming anger – a series of short videos and activities on how to recognise and regulate anger
- Having more fun – an activity planner to schedule more enjoyable activities into your week.
The ABC has written a great article about Fiona McKenzie, a Sydney woman who lives with an intellectual disability. She discusses how she has worked with the Black Dog Institute to create Healthy Mind. You can read more about her story here.
Otherwise, you can access the website directly and share it with others.
10 Ways to Practice Mindfulness
Here are 10 ways to practice help centre yourself and maintain mindfulness in the workplace.
- Connect with your senses
Even one minute of consciously connecting with one of your senses can be classified as a mindful exercise. You don’t need to close your eyes. You don’t even need to be sitting down. Simply connect with your body. Perhaps try to slow down as you walk to your car, check in with your senses and release any tension. Be aware as your heel and toes touch the earth.
- Be a single-tasker
Just do one thing at a time. This is especially important when you are feeling overwhelmed. Multi-tasking actually limits productivity and increases stress. Give yourself permission to focus…on just one thing. If you feel yourself wandering off to another task, that’s ok just re-centre and come back to that one focused task.
- Switch off as many distractions as you can
Silence your phone, log off of your social media accounts and set a timer. Now that you’ve wiped away distractions, get to work! Reducing inputs reduces noise in our heads. Try even turning off the radio while you are driving to work and listening to your breathing instead. It may feel strange at first but it works!
- Exercise
Take deep breaths and practice a couple of yoga poses at your desk or go for a brisk mindful walk around your office building. Each time you get up to go to the bathroom or get a drink, use that as a time to stretch your arms over your head, bend your head and neck and get some blood flowing again. Sitting is the new smoking.
- Put mindfulness in your calendar
Set an appointment with yourself! You won’t forget or have excuses to skip out on your favourite mindful practice if you’ve booked the next 3 minutes to release your stress. Some of the fitness watches like Apple’s actually has a breathing reminder app. Funny that we actually forget to breathe!
- Check out for lunch
Whether it be every day or just once a week try eating by yourself, in silence. Stay away from devices, slow down, and taste your food. You may not be able to take a Japanese nap at the office but this act of self-care will recharge you for the rest of the day. I promise!
- Slow down to speed up
Being fast doesn’t make you better. Being in a rush leads to poor decisions and a misuse of energy. We end up living on adrenaline which zaps us of energy later. I have a mantra, “if we slow down so does the clock”. It truly works that we end up feeling we have more time if we slow down. Taking time to reflect before acting on or deciding anything ensures thoughtful results.
- Be grateful
Practicing gratitude has a positive impact on your creativity, health, working relationships, and quality of work. It’s truly a chain reaction. Overuse “Thank you” and see how your co-workers’ morale improves, see how the positivity follows you home at night. I have a poster in my office, “smile, it confuses people”. Try it! Smiling and being grateful will shift how others relate to you.
- Be humble
Take a few minutes to think about the people who have helped you: parents, guardians, teachers, employers. Be willing to work hard, but not only for yourself or your company. Work hard for the people you influence and the people who have influenced you. You’ll be a better leader and co-worker when you deflate your ego and congratulate your team and even your boss.
- Baby steps
Awareness is the first step. Don’t try to make big changes towards mindfulness all at once. Commit to one thing new each week that you can practice and don’t get overwhelmed by thinking you need more time and more to dos in order to be mindful. Take your new mindful attitude with you everywhere – while in the shower, walking the dog, or boiling the kettle. Every moment is an opportunity to pause and be present.
Sourced from: https://thriveglobal.com/stories/10-ways-to-practice-mindfulness-at-work/
Planning for your future healthcare
The WA Department of Health End of Life Care Program invites you to have your say on the development of the revised WA Advance Health Directive (AHD) form.
An Advance Health Directive is a legal document that enables an individual to make decisions now about the treatment they would want – or not want – to receive if they became sick or injured and were incapable of communicating their wishes.
Here is how to have your say:
Come along to a consultation workshop – registrations are open now. To register please visit health.wa.gov.au/AHDconsult.
Complete the online survey – now open.
The survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete and is open until Friday 4 September 2020.
NDIS Parent & Carer Training – Communication
If your son or daughter has little or no verbal speech, then this workshop run by DDWA will guide you through current thinking about how to best support them.
Some of the areas to be covered in the workshop include:
- Why and how everyone can communicate, regardless of their disability
- Your loved one’s right to be heard, listened to and responded to by others
- Supporting communication for interaction and relationships
- What it takes to learn to communicate in new ways (for example using a communication device)
- Practical things we can do to support our child or loved one with CCN learn to communicate in new ways.
There are various payment options depending on your funding.
Register for the workshop here.
Now You’re 16 & Now You’re 18
Big Dog Support Services and DDWA have produced WA versions of guides to Commonwealth and State Services for students and young people with disability.
They are free to download in the DDWA online shop, along with some other great resources.
Cahoots Connect – Click & Collect
Cahoots Connects is a free, safe and accessible shopping delivery service helping people who are over the age of 65, feeling too anxious to get shopping and weekly supplies, living with a disability, experiencing mental health concerns, immunocompromised, of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin, of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds and a carer for any of the above.
After receiving feedback from the WA community they have simplified our online ordering process and have expanded to offer Click & Collect deliveries from Woolworths, Coles, K Mart, Target, Officeworks, Bunnings and more.
To find out more, visit their website. Here you will find the instructions on how to complete an order and more information on the services they provide.
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