This edition of CRUcial Times focuses on the theme of "The careful blend of paid and unpaid support".
This edition contains the following articles:
Editorial
Margaret Rodgers
From the president
Sharon Daley
Getting to Balance
Lynn Walmsley is the mother of two adult sons and one adult step son, the youngest of whom, Robert, has several disabilities. Lynn’s work experience prior to having her children included working in the disability sector. This experience led her to seek out parent advocacy organisations upon moving to Australia when the children were young, which then sparked Lynn’s quest for inclusive education and inclusion in community for Robert. This article has been written with input from Robert Walmsley-Evans.
Principles for partnering between natural and formal supporters
Dr Michael Kendrick is well known internationally as an educator, advocate, consultant and author. He has worked in government and non-government agencies and consults on issues such as service quality, safeguards, and design of personalised services. He lives in the United States, but as a regular visitor to Queensland, he also understands the local and national issues that people with disability and their supporters face as they strive to live in their community.
Best Knowledge? Blending knowledge in the age of person-centred support
Adrienne McGhee has been involved in the disability sector in Queensland for 16 years, and has held a variety of roles including those of disability support worker, service manager, systems advocate, freelance consultant, sessional academic, friend and advocate. She recently completed a PhD about the knowledge of support workers who work with people ageing with an intellectual disability. Adrienne promotes the blending of a full range of ‘evidences’ into a unique knowledge that is built with and around each person in order to produce desired outcomes in his or her life.
Re-imagining supports: Creating the right blend
Sarah Scown has worked in the disability sector for almost twenty years. Starting her career as a Support Worker in large institutions in Canberra and in Brisbane highlighted for her the need to demand more from the sector. Over the past nine years, Sarah was involved with coordinating a small, local, not-for-profit disability service before working in her current role in case management for a Brisbane based NGO. In addition to her formal roles, Sarah has also been a member of a Circle of Support and sat on a Management Committee for a small disability service.
There comes a time in every young man's life
The Termont-Schenk family live in a small coastal community north of Brisbane. They have been involved in the disability world for 33 years and have always been strong advocates for all people being immersed in their local and world communities. They were instrumental in starting a cooperative in their local region; are active members of the Queensland Folk Federation; Woodford Folk Festival and Woodfordia Treehuggers as well as Zonta and Brotherhood of the Wordless. In this article Pam shares her experience of what they have learnt over the past 8 years since Jamon moved into his own home. Jamon, a keen artist and weatherman, is supported by his family, flatmate, friends and support workers. Jamon believes that it is important to give back and loves his life. His thoughts on this are reflected in the quotes accompanying Pam’s article.