A Love Connection made at Scope’s Social Connections
For Geoff and Louise, being a part of the Scope family has proved to be more than just a place for them to live and work but has also fostered their long-term relationship and marriage.
As we celebrate Scope’s 75 years of supporting people with disability, we put a spotlight on the people who make us who we are today.
Each of our histories combined, provide a strong foundation for our future as we support clients to belong and thrive. We chatted with employee Lisa Fischer, Roster Business Partner Manager, to talk about her experiences.
Lisa started work for the Victorian State Government in psychiatric services when she was 18. It seemed the natural thing to do with her mum and dad both psychiatric nurses, and also Mental Retardation Nurses at Caloola in Sunbury, the main employer in the area at the time.
“I started as a Student Psychiatric Nurse at Royal Park Psychiatric Hospital in Parkville,” said Lisa. “At the time it operated as a state hospital facility and was run by nurses and psychiatrists. Patients were in wards, and it was an eye opener for an 18-year-old student nurse.”
Lisa has seen many things change over the years. Including the introduction of the Intellectually Disabled Persons' Services Act 1986, providing a framework for the Australian Government to provide a range of disability services focused on assisting people with disability to achieve independence, employment and opportunities to integrate into the community.
“Victoria seemed to lead the way in this approach. My mum played a role in overseeing the design and build of some of the houses in the west that are still in use today for Supported Independent Living. These homes had 5-to-6-bedrooms with wide hallways for wheelchair access and additions like larger light switches – it was a big change in how supports were provided at the time and very different from large wards in the institutions.”
In 2006, with the introduction of the Disability Act, Lisa started to see a more pronounced shift to community-based living, more choice and control around finances, and a focus on living skills and personal goals. In turn this led to people with disabilities having more choice about where to live, improvements to medication and restrictive intervention practices, and a move towards a more person-centred approach.
“In many ways Scope was ahead of its time. I remember in 1997 I took 12-months leave without pay to take up an opportunity with the Spastic Society [now Scope]. They had secured funding for a pilot program called MAPS West to trial supporting people with disability 1:1 in the community, and I was keen to be a part of it,” said Lisa.
“There were about six of us hired to support 6-8 people who lived in the Western suburbs area of Melbourne. In fact, to get the role, the person I was to support, called Megan, interviewed me along with her mother.”
“We had access to vehicles and we could support clients to do whatever they wished to do. I remember taking clients to the local community center for Tai Chi lessons and out to live shows. When clients were sick, we supported them at home.”
“At one point we even went to the Yarra Valley for a holiday, just like a group of friends going away together. It was a great initiative. The Spastic Society was about 20 years ahead of its time!”
“When it was announced that the Victorian Government services where I worked was transferring to Scope in 2019 as part of the transition to the NDIS, I was pleased. I knew the fit and culture were right for me.”
"I was an Operations Manager at the time supporting staff and clients to transition to Scope and then to the NDIS, which places funding in the hands of the individual and gives increased choice and control of the supports they receive."
“When it comes to disability services the world is changing … but it is taking time. In the future, when we look down the road of where we have come from, we should be proud of the role we have played in changing attitudes and making a difference in people’s lives.”
Now and Then: Marie Byrne, Therapy Team Leader - Outer West/Barwon
As Scope marks its 75th anniversary, we reflect on the stories that illustrate the profound impact the organisation has had on countless lives. We sat down with Marie Byrne to hear about her career with Scope so far. Marie currently works as a Therapy Team Leader and Physiotherapist in our Barwon Office.
Denise shares her reflections on the origins of Scope’s Communication and Inclusion Resource Centre
As we celebrate 75 years of empowering lives, Denise West, General Manager CIRC National Services, takes us on a journey through the origins of Scope's Communication and Inclusion Resource Centre (CIRC) and the remarkable impact it's had on the disability community.
