Safe surfing: How are families navigating the digital jungle?
Keeping children safe is a priority for all parents, and when it comes to using the internet, many parents are not sure what they need to do to keep safe online.
The term “spectrum” is thrown around a lot with disabilities, and it’s only not always done so accurately.
That said, most disabilities exist on a broad spectrum. More to the point, these varying conditions have levels of severity and various ways of showing themselves.
Multiple people could suffer from the same condition and be impacted differently. Will there be an overlap in the lived experiences of these individuals? Undoubtedly so. Still, you’d be surprised at how different people view and approach their challenges and hurdles.
Some of these variances can be due to perspectives. Everybody’s mind has its own way of working. Another pivotal factor will be living circumstances.
For instance, are you in an environment that supports living with your disability?
Moreover, accessibility to disability support agencies, disability support, and similar resources will dictate how you function, interact, and navigate the world with a given condition. Considering the above factors, does it make sense for disability services to be one-size-fits-all? Every person is unique–as are the specificities of their disabilities (if they have one).
Some people need more formal support, while others require informal support. In contrast, some individuals realise they require as-needed assistance as their life becomes more complex. Flexibility and the ability to adapt and adjust to personalised needs are musts for modern disability support agencies in Australia. While we’ve established the general spirit of this blog with the above content, there’s more to this story. Below, we’ll delve further into why highly personalised disability services are the future of the sector throughout Australia.
Disabilities are deeply personal and specific
Disabilities are too unique to fall under one blanket term.
Let’s say someone has a learning disability (or a learning difference). These issues exist in many forms. They could affect someone’s intellectual capacity. Conversely, other cognitive problems that have little to do with intellect might be at play. In many–if not all–instances, struggles in one area of learning might be balanced by heightened aptitudes in other areas.
A one-size-fits-all approach to disability services fails to deal with these nuanced realities. They place people in boxes that limit their abilities to grow and expand because of the restrictions put in place. They treat these conditions as problems to manage rather than as characteristics to navigate, hone, and fine-tune.
Personalised disability support delves into the complexities of a client’s learning disability–for instance–and harnesses their strengths.
While we’ve focused on learning and cognitive conditions in this section, this notion rings true for all disability services, including physical issues. In every instance and individual, there’s inner and outer strength our personalised services at Scope tap into and cultivate.
Independent living for Australians with disabilities requires a personalised touch
When we say "Personalised disability services," we mean exploring every avenue to provide support. No stone can be left unturned.
We’ve discussed the “spectrum” of disabilities that exist. Your disability might not get in the way of your independent daily living. In this instance, an agency like Scope can provide supplemental support, depending on the urgency of these less formal needs.
That said, some disabilities come with more immediate, formal needs. For instance, individuals with severely limiting physical conditions who wish to live more independently require more robust, adaptable support.
More to the point, Scope’s Supported Independent Living services and Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) offer seven days a week of intensive support. Our team is dedicated to making every effort to help residents seize each day and live full lives.
The personalisation goes a few steps further, however.
Namely, Scope tailors these comprehensive services to each resident's specific needs, interests, and preferences. We won't stick you into a specified program where you're forced to adapt to uncomfortable (and unproductive) circumstances. Rather, we mould to who you are, customising our levels of support, no matter how specific.
Examples of Scope’s personalised Supported Independent Living services
We’ll cite Giulia, one of our residents, who was excited to move from her mom’s house for the first time at 29.
Giulia is inspired by music, is enamoured by her housemate Dennis's keyboard playing, and loves watching music videos.
Giulia’s daily routine in our housing facility is chock full of music. She attends music therapy and will kick back and relax to her favourite tunes when the mood strikes her.
Moreover, Giulia can rest assured she’ll look her best as she’s provided the support to wear her preferred hairstyle and outfit daily.
There’s also Jenny, who’s stayed at our Stonehaven house for over twenty years. Her hobby–and passion–is making cards for all occasions. Jenny has even begun selling her cards at craft markets and in the city, bringing smiles to all recipients.
When our residents receive our support, it’s more than providing a service or “doing a job.” We aim to do everything in our power and with our resources to help you experience life to its fullest extent. You have the strength and desire to do so; we find every way to channel that strength.
Individualised Living Options: The ultimate in personalisation
Needs, preferences, and interests will be different based on your disability and their general unique qualities.
The ideal living circumstances, specifically, depend so much on personality traits. Just because you share a disability with an individual doesn’t mean you want to live under the same circumstances as them.
Wants and desires are so crucial in personalisation. Yes, needs and requirements are equally significant–but living life to the fullest requires personal agency and making your own decisions.
Being placed into living circumstances without weighing all the necessary factors (including preferences and wants) means the appropriate support can’t be provided.
Alternatively, Scope offers Individualised Living Options that allow prospective residents to choose their homes. Furthermore, you select who’s on your support team by partnering with us.
Scope works with you and your support networks to assess all available living options to determine the most suitable accommodations. We also focus on blending informal and formal support.
Since these disability services are so personalised, the model will change and evolve along with your needs. Our shared objective is to develop a sustainable and adaptable plan that involves, engages, and actions your entire support system (i.e., family and friends).
What living options are available within the Scope ecosystem?
Individualised Living is linked to the NDIS support model, which consists of the following living options:
Living in your own home:
- Co-residency options offer part and full-time support in your home.
- Support can be provided to someone living alone in several ways.
- It’s possible to choose a group of people to live with while receiving assistance.
Living in someone else’s home:
- You’ll live in a non-related host’s home. Your host will give you support.
The Exploration Phase
We explore all aspects of your circumstances and disability during the exploration phase. Understanding and planning are the core tenets of this stage.
You and your family will work alongside a highly-trained, vastly experienced ILO Support Coordinator to accomplish the following:
- Identify your needs.
- Bridge any gaps.
- Design a personalised support plan with informal and formal support.
The coordinator will present various options, tools to make an informed decision on the completed plan, and potential risks to consider.
We’ll send you a detailed service proposal outlining your preferred plan and a comprehensive report once you’ve made your decisions. Factors such as who you live with, where you live, and your required support are of the utmost priority to us.
Personalised disability agency Melbourne and Sydney
In a world that grows increasingly complex, living with a disability can be daunting. Society hasn’t necessarily been designed with your unique needs in mind.
All the same, you have the courage to strive for more. You want to be an active community member and enjoy life's joyous, fulfilling experiences, even if you have disability-related hurdles.
At Scope, we partner with you to give you, your family, and your entire support system the needed support for you to live life to the fullest. Some of that support could be informal if that’s the most appropriate, sustainable approach. Alternatively, we can provide more formal, full-fledged services if that makes the most sense. It depends on what you want and what will help you the most.
Our solutions aren’t one-size-fits-all. We’re the most reputable and compassionate disability agency Melbourne or Sydney has to offer because of our expertise and commitment to providing personalised services.
Also, this article only scratches the surface of what Scope offers. To that point, our services include the following:
You deserve support that helps you live your best life and harnesses your strengths. Scope will be there every step of the way, adhering to your specific, personalised plan. As far as we’re concerned, this heightened personalisation is the future of Australian disability services.
Contact Scope to learn more about how we can support you!
Be Safe Online in Partnership
Scope’s Be Safe Online project aims to provide information about eSafety in accessible written formats to facilitate effective conversations about how to be safe online through the development of Easy English documents and communication aids.
Tools2Talk Now: Top tips from Speech Pathologists
Scope’s Tools2Talk Now app enables you to create customised communication tools in minutes. With a huge range of templates, symbols, and lots of handy features, there are endless ways the app can be used. It saves people a lot of time and importantly provides quick and easy communication tools for people with communication needs.
