TEST

Countdown to FebruDAREy

CPL’s 13th Camp Have a Chat

Care Opinion Launch

Three friends ride from Brisbane to Adelaide for CPL

#februdarey

#februdarey

PatronGovernor ofQueenslandHis Excellency Mr Paul de Jersey AC

Cover image: CPL carer Natasha Turcan with client Shannon Overton from CPL’s Toowoomba centre. Photo courtesy of Rachael Murray and the Toowoomba Chronicle.

what’sinside?

Touchstone Summer 2014 3Touchstone Summer 20142

HAVE YOUR SAY!P: 1800 275 753E: [email protected]

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VISIT OUR WEBSITEwww.cpl.org.au

READ TOUCHSTONE ONLINEwww.cpl.org.au/touchstone

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FEATURE

2 FeatureCountdown to FebruDAREy 2015

4 ProfileThree friends ride from Brisbane to Adelaide for CPL

6 Industry insightCare Opinionlaunches for CPL clients and families

8 In focusCamp Have aChat 2014

10 Inside CPLA day in the life of Natasha Turcan

12 Faces and Places

14 Regional spotlightGladstone’sBetty Bath

15 Guide CPL’s Holiday Care

16 News in brief

19 State CCC updateP&G updateDiary

FebruDAREy 2015 is gearing up to take CPL’s interactive fundraiser – and some daring challengers – to new and dizzying heights (literally), as it asks Australia to dare to show they care.

The second annual FebruDAREy will once again turn the whole month of February into a dare-fest.

People across the nation will tackle dares, dare someone they know or donate to see a dare carried out to support people with disabilities live fulfilling lives.

But, this year, FebruDAREy will be twice as easy and twice as fun thanks to the introduction of four quick-pick dare options and the call to challengers to “double the dare” by daring themselves and a friend.

Challengers can now choose from four different types of dares when they register and then raise valuable funds for children and adults with disabilities.

The quick-pick dares include:• the ultimate adrenalin

challenge, skydiving• doing something

embarrassing like wearing a hilarious outfit in public

• playing a work prank on your boss

• or singing to strangers in the street.

Dare-devils looking to put their own creative stamp on their challenge can still invent their own dare.

CPL CEO Angela Tillmanns said the kookier and crazier the dare, the more money they could raise, but it was entirely up to the individual to push their own limits.

It’s time to double dare inFebruDAREy 2015!

“Who wouldn’t want to see a friend, work colleague or family member pushed to the edge of their comfort zone?” Angela said.

“Now is your chance to challenge them – and yourself – and raise money for a great cause,” she said.

“The scariest challenge for some people might be singing in public, whereas for someone else the most daring thing might be jumping out of a plane.

“The main thing is to push your own limits and see how daring you can be when faced with a challenge that scares the pants off you.”

Angela said CPL encouraged work groups, friends and families to dare their colleagues, mates and loved ones and sponsor each other’s dares.

“I know I wouldn’t hesitate to put my hand in my pocket to see someone I know do something ridiculous or just plain frightening – and I’m sure they would love to do the same to me,” Angela said.

To become a challenger, dare a friend, family member or work colleague, or support a challenger, register today at: www.februdarey.com.au

FebruDAREy’s League of Legends at the 2014 launch in Brisbane City.

Which FebruDAREy persona are you

and what dare willyou take on?

Visit www.februdarey.com.auto pick your persona

and dare today!

Capture your own or your friend’s big moment on video using a smart phone, camera or video recorder and upload it to Facebook or Twitter using the #februdarey hashtag!

PROFILE


For the past 12 months, Elias Power, James Farmer and Jack Barry, all 24 years old, have been getting up at 5am to train for an hour every morning. On the 22nd November, the three mates from Brisbane will be cycling a mammoth 3,000 kilometres from Brisbane to Adelaide over three weeks.

Seemingly unfazed by the daunting task, Elias, James and Jack are are passionate about helping people with disabilities and hope to raise $20,000 for CPL.

Wheeling to make a differenceThree mates cycle 3,000kms from Brisbane to Adelaide to raise $20,000 for CPL!

Elias has seen firsthand how CPL can help children with disabilities and their families, as his younger brother Joseph has cerebral palsy.

“With the help of CPL’s services and the support of the

community, we’ve been able to watch Joseph grow into a confident

young man.”

Motivated by Joseph, Elias recruited his two best mates to help him tackle the 3,000km journey.

Together the boys will cycle a vigorous 150-200kms per day to support children and adults with disabilities.

“Joseph is a true inspiration to all of us,” Jack said. “With the help of CPL’s services and the support of the community, we’ve been able to watch him grow into a confident young man.

“We know that there are many more young people out there

like Joseph, and we want to help them and raise awareness by doing this ride.”

Elias describes his brother Joseph as extremely quick witted and a real jokester.

“He loves the family farm and getting around on his specially designed quad bike. Once we made him a Ned Kelly style suit, and were chasing him around on his quad bike throwing mud at each other,” Elias said laughing.

Elias, James and Jack are no strangers to hard work and strenuous training regimes. They first met on their school’s rowing team in 2006, where they spent five months of the year training together every morning.

“Earlier this year we realised that cycling together reminded us of our time rowing together at school. When we rowed together we were working towards one goal as a team – so there was a huge sense of mateship,” Elias said.

“We wanted to use our camaraderie to give back to the community, especially CPL. We wanted to challenge ourselves in more than one way – first, riding 3,000km and second, raising as much as possible.

James said that their training program is a mixture of short and fast rides, as well as longer rides with steep gradients in different environments.

“We are regulars at the Nundah Bike Track, as well as visiting Mt Coot-tha, Mt Nebo and the Goat Track in Samford,” James said.

“We want to make sure we’re ready for anything over the 3,000km. The last day of the

journey looks like it will be the hardest.

There is a 30km climb into Adelaide. Plus it will be summer, so riding uphill in the blistering Aussie sun with the possibility of South Eastern winds. It’s quite possible we’ll be riding straight into head winds on a 40 degree day.

“Training for the ride has definitely been hard, but it’s nothing when you consider what some children and adults with disabilities go through every day.

To add an additional layer to the already extraordinary challenge, the boys will be riding completely unassisted on their journey. They will be carrying their own gear with them and will not be relying on any support cars for the entire 3,000km.

Elias, James and Jack will be

using a live tracker for their trip, so supporters can watch their progress with an up to date location along the 3,000kms.

“Training for the ride has definitely been

hard, but it’s nothing when you consider what some children

and adults with disabilities go through

every day.”

To donate to Elias, James and Jack’s ride, or to track their journey, please visitwww.brisbane2adelaide.com.au.

If you’re interested in raising money for CPL like Elias, James and Jack, contact CPL’s Erina Carboni on 07 3358 8052 or [email protected].

Joseph and Elias Power, Elias will be riding over 3,000km to raise money for people with cerebral palsy like his brother Joseph.

James Farmer, Elias Power and Jack Barry training together for their upcoming ride to Adelaide.

INDUSTRY INSIGHT


We care about your opinionCare Opinion has officially launched in Australia!

What is Care Opinion you ask? It’s an independent site where Australians can share their stories about the support services they receive and see what other people are saying about them.

The Care Opinion website(www.careopinion.org.au) will be officially launched by Minister for Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services Tracy Davis MP along with CPL CEO Angela Tillmanns and Multicap CEO Jo Jessop on the International Day of People with Disability (Wednesday 3 December) at Brisbane’s Botanic Gardens.

According to Mrs Tillmanns, Care Opinion is aimed at giving clients the ability to influence the services they receive, while helping CPL staff and management to better service their clients and prepare for the

National Disability Insurance Scheme NDIS.

“Care Opinion puts the power of deciding what is quality and good service in the hands of the consumer, where it belongs,” Mrs Tillmanns said.

“Care Opinion passes your

stories to the right people to make a

difference.”“We really hope that Care Opinion will encourage our

clients and their families to share stories about CPL’s services across Queensland. Together we can shape the future of disability services in preparation for the introduction of the NDIS in 2016.”

When people share stories about CPL, Care Opinion will pass it along so that we can share the positive news with the relevant team or look at ways to improve our client’s service experience. Importantly, people can visit Care Opinion again to see the responses to their stories.

To share your stories, visitwww.careopinion.org.au today.

HOW CARE OPInIOn WORksStory is shared on the Care Opinion website. These stories can be submitted by people receiving care, a family member or friend or even a care provider.

The story is moderated and published by Care Opinion.

CPL is alerted that a story is published about our services.

A response is sent to Care Opinion by CPL.

Care Opinion publishes CPL’s response and the storyteller is notified.

The storyteller has been heard! We share your good news with the relevant team and look at ways to improve your experience for next time.

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IN FOCUS


Being able to tell someone something is an ability that most people take for granted.

However, for six year-old Finley Coll, being able to ‘voice’ his thoughts and feelings is a long, complex and costly process.

At seven months old, Finley, who lives in Battery Hill on the Sunshine Coast, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and is unable to speak due to his disability.

However, according to his mother, Amanda Coll, it hasn’t impacted Finley’s keen desire to express himself: she says he loves music and singing, and even wants to be a DJ when he grows up.

“He’s always singing,” Amanda said, describing Finley as “outgoing, intelligent and a very happy child.”

For three days in early October, Finley joined 10 other children and teenagers who have complex communication needs to learn to express himself more confidently at CPL’s 13th annual Camp Have a Chat.

“He felt like he really fit in there, and the mentoring was a

highlight.”The camp teaches kids to use specialised signs, symbols, gestures and electronic communication devices so they can tell people how they think and feel.

“He absolutely had a ball; he especially liked the social aspect of it,” Amanda said of Finley’s first camp experience.

“He felt like he really fit in there, and the mentoring was a highlight,” she said.

“He particularly enjoyed seeing other kids using [communication] devices, which he’d never seen before because he attends a mainstream school.”

Camp Program Coordinator Mercia Lewis said that like Finley, several of this year’s participants attended for the first time and learnt to better use some of the latest communication technologies and techniques like the iPad Proloquo2go, Dyna Vox, PODD Books and Eco 2.

“Our goal is to help kids learn new ways of expressing themselves so they can communicate with confidence and become more active members of their families and communities,” Mercia said.

Amanda said Finley brought his iPad Proloquo2go along to camp but also had the opportunity to try a Liberator speech device, which one of his mentors used during the camp.

“He loved using the Liberator and we are looking at trialling it on a longer term basis,” she said.

CPL’s 13th annual Camp Have a Chat helps kidsto learn to tell others how they think and feel.

Telling it like it is

Happy camper Finley at CPL’s 2014 Camp Have a Chat.

Joseph ‘Ruff’ Superhero.

Richard loved the petting zoo animals.

Frazer and his balloon masterpiece, courtesy of the CHAC magician.

Aged between six and sixteen, Finley’s fellow participants travelled to camp headquarters in Redland Bay from as far afield as Far North Queensland, Northern New South Wales and Central Queensland to develop confidence and self-esteem.

According to Mercia, most of the children who attended the camp this year had cerebral palsy but a few others had mental and physical impairments including Downs Syndrome, epilepsy and autism.

“All of our participants have complex communication needs, and are either non-verbal or have decreased speech clarity – speech that is difficult to understand,” she said.

“Our goal is to help these kids learn new ways of expressing themselves so they can communicate with confidence.”

Camp Facilitator Karen Nivala said the children attended the camp with their parents and even siblings, so the whole family could get involved in the program.

“We really encouraged families to actively participate in the camp program so they can learn techniques to use with their child when they get back home to continue their development,” Karen said.

“Together with help from a team of speech therapists and community artists, they worked through a program of themed activities designed to allow each child to explore his or her own creativity including visual arts, storytelling and drama,” she said.

She said each year’s camp was themed to help the kids to develop their communication abilities through the joy of storytelling and this year’s camp was focussed around ‘The Awesome Adventures of Heroes Inc’.

Camp Have a Chat had earned its place as one of Queensland’s most respected programs for children and young people with disabilities.

now, 13 years on, we’ve helped almost 200 kids through this programto access cutting edge technologies and devices from across

the globe and made a real difference in people’s lives.Angela Tillmanns, CEO

“”

Natasha Turcan thrives in her role as a Support Worker at CPL’s Toowoomba centre doing something that comes naturally to her.

Nurturingindependence

INSIDE CPL


8:00amLeave home to take my two older children to school and my youngest to day care.

8:30amArrive at work to start my halfan hour one-on-one with a client who loves to talk about babies. Having three children makes for an interesting conversation.

Living life as an adult with a complex disability presents its challenges; yet these challenges are largely unseen.

Often the biggest challenge for adults with disabilities is getting out into the community.

For adults with severe disabilities, getting dressed and having breakfast in the morning can be one big hurdle, let alone leaving the house to go to the shops, visit friends or simply go on an outing.

CPL’s Toowoomba Support in the Community service is working hard to change that for Toowoomba locals with disabilities and their families.

The service currently supports over 40 clients, ranging in age from 18 to 65 – some with physical disabilities and others with mental disabilities.

CPL also supports local adults to live their everyday lives by visiting them at home to assist with personal care such as taking a shower, cooking and mealtime assistance, as well as providing respite for parents and carers so they can take time out for themselves.

Essential to these services are the carers who deliver them. One such carer is CPL Support Worker Natasha Turcan, who says it’s all about helping adults with disabilities find their independence.

In her role, Natasha leads clients in activities ranging from gardening, cooking and craft to

excursions to the Toowoomba PCYC, bowling alley and local parks for barbeques.

“We’re really trying to build their independence by getting them active and keeping their minds working,” Natasha said.

“For 12 months, I was working one-on-one with a client who had a mental disability and couldn’t express herself without yelling and avoided situations where she had to be with other people.

“We’re really trying to build their

independence by getting them active and keeping their minds working.”

“We had the goals of helping her to be more verbal and to get out into the community and interact more with other people.

“Over the year, we not only got her to be more verbal, we also got her going out with us to bowling, lunches and sharing spaces and activities with other clients, which she would never do in the beginning.”

Natasha, who joined CPL’s Toowoomba centre in November 2012, is mother to three young children aged seven, six and two, so is no stranger to the role of carer.

She has also watched her mum care for her father after he had

an aneurism and suffered brain damage, explaining that this and motherhood were both motivating factors for joining CPL.

“Just seeing what my mother went through as a full-time carer made me start thinking about what parents of adults with disabilities go through at home.

“Being a mother also made me think ‘if this was my child, how would I want them to be treated?’

“It’s good for parents to know that there are other people who will care for their children the way they would and want the best for them,” she said.

“If this was my child, how would I want them to be

treated?”

She says the best part of her role is seeing how happy her clients are when they finish a project, and just watching them get out and do something that gives them enjoyment and a sense of purpose.

Natasha struggles to think of what the toughest part of her role is – she loves it so much.

“I think the hardest part is learning to communicate with clients who are non-verbal and have different levels of intellectual disability, but once you learn how, it’s easy,” she said.

natasha shares with us a typical day in her working life – and there’s nothing ordinary about it!

9:00amStart the shopping list for our cooking program and help my clients have their morning tea.

10:00 to 11:00amWe take the clients out shopping. They love this activity. After we have everything we need, we head back to the service to start our cooking program for lunch.

12:00 to 2:00pmWe have our yummy lunch that the clients helped to make, andthen the fun of cleaning up begins.

2:30pmAfter a fun day of cooking and laughter, some clients start to head home. I finish work and head off to pick up my three children before going home to start the process all over again!

CPL carer Natasha Turcan with client Shannon Overton from CPL’s Toowoomba centre. Photo courtesy of Rachael Murray and the Toowoomba Chronicle.

FACES AND PLACES


1. Leona Moseley, Sandra Foster, Karen Petersen and Tara Strobel at Mylestones Printing’s High Tea celebration.

2. CPL CEO Angela Tillmanns presenting Leona Moseley with a certificate for 10 years of employment with Mylestones Printing.

3. Christina Peters, Jessie Peters and Tracy Hibbett at Mylestones Printing’s High Tea celebration.

4. CPL CEO Angela Tillmanns presenting Karl Muller with a certificate for 10 years of employment with Mylestones Printing.

5. Minister Tracy Davis MP with Mylestones Employment client, Eleanor Jones.

6. Quita Brown, Paul Nutley, Eleanor Jones, Minister Davis, Ian Berry MP, Michael Heit and Cameron Williams enjoying a BBQ at CPL’s Mylestones Employment.

7. Katrina Tippett, Jacinda and Shane Webster at CPL’s BBQ fun day at the Maroochydore centre.

8. Donald, Lesley and Angel Love-Park, Niusha Sadeghpour, Amanda Blair, Maddison Shannon, Sharryn Morris and Debbie Heuschele at CPL’s BBQ fun day in Maroochydore.

9. Debbie Heuschele and Angel Love-Park at CPL Maroochydore’s BBQ fun day.

10. Dr Yvonne Burns AO celebrating 50 years with CPL with Angela Tillmanns CPL CEO.

11. Juliet Milne and Joseph Russo at CPL in Townsville’s Great Gatsby Fundraiser.

12. Delwyn Field, Jasminka Corporal and Lavinia Robinson at CPL Townsville’s Great Gatsby Fundraiser.

13. Adam McManus (left) and Daniel Coughran (right) from Voice Print Data with Troy Duncan (centre) from FinnAir enjoying the Clovely Estate fundraising dinner held October. The dinner raised over $16,000 for CPL.

14. Phil Downs, Regional GM for Westpac, with CPL CEO Angela Tillmanns at the Clovely Estate fundraising dinner.

15. Claudia O’Brien from Grill’d presenting CPL staff Vicki Love, Cath Downes, Brendan McGufficke and Erin Byrne with $200 raised through their Local Matters program.

16. Daniel Waters and Clem Baldwin from Downer EDI Mining visiting CPL’s Toowoomba centre with Brendan McGufficke, CPL Corporate Relationships Manager.

17. Lend Lease Volunteers helping out at CPL’s Fig Tree Pocket service.

18. Lend Lease staff Volunteers Belinda and Maria with residents Victoria Fo...

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REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT GUIDE

For 20 years Betty Bath worked in her local school’s library, helping primary school students with their literacy and encouraging them to read.

The Gladstone local always had a soft spot for her students with special needs, and would always look forward to helping them when they came to the library.

Betty says that one day it just dawned on her, that she would like to do more full time work helping children with special needs and disabilities.

“My sons always joked that I would never leave school library,” she said.

Betty decided to take the plunge and leapt into a new career at CPL’s Gladstone centre.

“I’ve been working for CPL for two years now.

GladstoneSupport Worker shines

Betty Bath jumped into a new career in the disability sector after 20 years in her previous role, with the help of Mylestones Employment.

I started with the after school care program and helping kids on the weekend through our Support in the Community program.

With the help of Mylestones Training, CPL’s Registered Training Organisation, Betty was able to study a Certificate III in Disability and now works as a permanent support worker for CPL.

“I always wanted to study and learn more about disability care, so when CPL offered me the opportunity to study the Certificate III, I jumped at the chance,” Betty said.

Betty said that she loves her role at CPL and is so glad she made the change to the disability sector.

“Every week I get to see improvements that our clients make, they might seem small to anyone else but they’re huge to me and to our team. They look up at you with this beaming smile when they can do something that they couldn’t do last week,” she said.

“Every week I get to see improvements that our clients make,

they look up at you with this beaming smile when they can do something

that they couldn’t do last week.”

The introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in 2016 is expected to double the size of the disability support workforce in Queensland creating around 15,000 new jobs.

Mylestones Training specialises in education for the disability sector and is offering eligible Queenslanders, like Betty, affordable government subsidised Certificate III and IV in Disability courses.

CPL’s State Manager of Training Services, Penny Atfield, said Queensland’s current disability skills shortage paired with the Certificate III and IV study opportunities means there has never been a better time to up skill, launch or transform your career.

“People of all ages can access affordable, quality training and start their journey towards some really exciting and dynamic career prospects,” Penny said.

Courses run all over Queensland. For locations and enrolment dates, visit: www.cpl.org.au/training

Betty Bath from CPL’s Gladstone centre loves her role as a Support Worker.

Tina Court loves to travel. She has recently visited Australia for the third time and she is already planning her next visit.

On her two most recent holidays, Tina used CPL’s Holiday Care services on the Gold Coast for support throughout her stay and also to help her see the sights of the Gold Coast and Queensland.

“This is my second time using CPL to help me on my holiday,” Tina said.

“The first time I came to Australia, I brought my carer from home with me and it was so expensive.

“When I planned to visit for a second time, I jumped online and looked at a few different care providers – I found that CPL was the clear winner. They gave me the best price and they were also incredibly accommodating with the kind of support I needed.”

Tina said that when she was planning her third and most

Tina and CPL Personal Care Assistant Rita Daykin visiting Underwater World on Tina’s recent holiday to Queensland.

Explore the Sunshine Statewith CPLTina, who lives in New Zealand, used CPL’s Holiday Care services on the Gold Coast and she is now encouraging other people with disabilities to give travelling a go – with CPL’s help.

recent trip to Australia, there was no doubt in her mind that she would once again be using CPL’s support services.

“I have found it to be such quality care, and the carers are lovely, genuine people – I feel like I’ve known them forever,” she said.

“To anyone with a disability who is thinking of travelling – I say, do it! Step outside of your comfort zone!

“I never believed I could have travelled by myself, but with CPL’s help it’s been so easy to manage.

“Travelling is an adventure and has been so good for me – it’s reminded me that I still have abilities. For years I have had my husband and carers looking after me all the time, and that can make you forget what you’re capable of.

“I always wanted to keep the ability to do something by myself – I love knowing there are things that I can do by myself

and the challenge of travel is a great way to recognise that.

“I’d love to come back to Australia again and see more of Queensland, and if I do – I’ll definitely be getting in touch with CPL,” she said.

“I never believed I could have travelled by myself, but with CPL’s help it’s been so easy

to manage.”

Leanne Dempsey, Manager of Support in the Community and the Holiday Support program on the Gold Coast, said that Tina was one of many travellers with disabilities who are using CPL to help them on their holiday.

“CPL can help with finding disability friendly accommodation to organising carers. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to explore and enjoy the Sunshine State,” Leanne said.

“We understand that travelling with a disability can be a challenge, so we work which each client’s individual needs to make sure they can have the best holiday possible!”

To find out more about CPL’s Holiday support program, call 1800 275 753.

Tina and CPL Personal Care Assistant Rita Daykin exploring Queensland’s famous Australia Zoo. Crikey!


NEWS IN BRIEF

CPL is proud to announce the relocation of its north-side Support in the Community (SITC) service, which made the move from Windsor to New Farm in late October with the generous support of Treasury Casino & Hotels.

The new service was officially opened on 27 November by Treasury Managing Director Geoff Hogg, thanks to a generous $60,000 contribution from Treasury which funded the redevelopment of the building to suit its new purpose.

Treasury Casino & Hotel Managing Director Geoff Hogg said their partnership with CPL reflects Treasury’s commitment to supporting organisations that make a significant difference to the community.

“We’re committed to making a difference in our local area and are very proud our most recent contribution has assisted CPL to redevelop their

South-east Queensland families who have children with disabilities can make the most of the great outdoors this summer holidays by visiting some of the many all-abilities playgrounds located throughout the area.

There are 26 accessible playgrounds located in the Brisbane area alone, including three designed specifically for people of all abilities: Whites Hill Reserve on Boundary Road, Camp Hill; Ken Fletcher Park on King Arthur Terrace, Tennyson and a brand new one at the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens on Alice Street in the heart of the CBD.

Nestled among historic Moreton Bay figs, the City Botanic Gardens playground opened in June 2014 after undergoing a $2 million renovation and upgrade.

The playground offers a range of play experiences for people of all abilities, so children with disabilities can play alongside their friends and siblings.

According to CPL CEO Angela Tillmanns, while there are many great pieces of play equipment at this beautiful new playground, the one that really stands out is the accessible Merry Go Round.

“The ride has a flat surface that allows a child in a wheelchair to use it and bench seats so their siblings and friends can join in,” she said.

Children with wheelchairs can also access liberty swings located in parks around the south-east, including at Ipswich, Beenleigh, Clontarf, Capalaba, Victoria Point, Chermside, Burpengary, Oxley, MacGregor, Red Hill and Strathpine.

Access to liberty swings is via an MLAK key, which is generally only available on weekdays and can be collected from the park office. Visit www.brisbanekids.com.au for the full list.

Accessible playgrounds were a key commitment of the Brisbane City Council as part of the Brisbane Access and Inclusion Plan 2012-2017, which brought together representatives from the disability sector.

CPL staff and clients were actively involved in contributing to this plan.

For more information about Brisbane parks visit: www.brisbane.qld.gov.au

To find a park in the Brisbane area with a liberty swing or all-ability playground visit:www.brisbanekids.com.au

There’s no reason why the kids can’t have fun while you’re working over the summer school holidays.

Throughout the school holidays, various CPL services across the state offer fun Vacation Care programs that are designed to cater for school-aged children and young people with disabilities, as well as their siblings.

CPL’s Vacation Care program offers fun, interesting and age-appropriate activities for children and young people of all abilities aged 5 to 18, as well as teenager-specific programs.

Rebecca Cunneen, Service Facilitator for Support in the Community at the Gold Coast said CPL offered a high-quality specialist program, focussed on inclusivity for young people of

all abilities, making it popular for children with disabilities and their siblings.

“Our program is developed by understanding the children’s interests and abilities, reflecting, and planning accordingly,” Rebecca said.

“It includes community activities, and centre-based social and recreational activities including incursions,” she said.

Parents in some locations may be eligible to receive the Child Care Benefit (CCB) and Child Care Rebate to assist with payment. For further information on this please contact Centrelink.

If your child or someone you know may be interested in participating in CPL’s vacation care programs, please call us on 1800 275 753.

Vacation Care a blastfor kids with disabilities

Park it for funthis summer

What makes our service different?

• A higher level of support then other ‘mainstream’ services

• Specialist staff

• Long day model in some locations (8am – 6pm)

• After school care also available in some locations

• Fun, engaging program where each individual is fully supported to participate within the program (with their siblings)

• CCB/CCR available, which greatly reduces the cost

• Program caters for teenagers with a disability

CPL offers Vacation Care programs in southport

and Mt Gravatt.

Community support service finds a new home in New Farm

New Farm centre and welcome their Windsor clients to this new location,” Geoff said.

Karen Curren, Manager of New Farm and Ashgrove SITC services, thanked Treasury Casino & Hotel for their continued support of CPL and welcomed a new era of services for CPL clients living on the north-side and inner city suburbs.

Karen said one of the many benefits of the inner suburban location was that it offered clients better access to the Valley-New Farm precincts, and its different venues including the Valley Community Centre, Judith Wright Centre, The Powerhouse, New Farm Park and access to the City Cat, to name a few.

“We have a great space here at New Farm that has been refurbished to meet our clients’ needs,” Karen said.

“Our new location has opened up a whole new range of activities which will benefit the clients greatly. Some venues are walking distance which means they won’t have to rely on or pay for taxis.”

“We’re also excited about the prospect of creating new raised garden beds and a nursery in the outside common areas, which will create a lovely environment for both clients and staff to share,” she said.

CPL client Payton Stewart enjoying some painting.

Annika Strand and Troy Toro-Cunneen with their baking masterpieces.

New Farm SITC Manager Karen Curren with CPL client Steven McKenna and Grace Grace.

STATE CCC AND P&G UPDATE

State CCC Update

P&G Update

DIARY3 DecemberInternational Day of People with Disability

3 DecemberCPL launching Care Opinion

5 DecemberInternational Volunteer Day

6 DecemberChannel screech Performance

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FebruaryFebruDAREy!

Touchstone Summer 2014 19

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Geoff Trappett, CPL Senior Engagement and Service Development Officer sat down with State Client Consultative Committee (CCC) Chair Terry Donaldson to bring you this update.

Geoff: What has been on the radar for the state CCC for the past few months?

Terry: The State CCC has been working hard on a number of strategic issues that clients from our regional CCC’s have bought to the table. Everything from physical access issues, helping our clients prepare for storm season, to how our volunteers can help us under an NDIS. We have also been highlighting the importance of our clients filling out the client survey, which I talked about last issue.

Geoff: Terry, you mention storm season. How important is it for clients, families and support staff to be ready for all the

eventualities that can come with our lovely Queensland weather over summer?

Terry: It’s extremely important for all individuals to be prepared for storm season, but much more so people with disabilities. It is much harder for people with disabilities to simply uproot their lives and move to safer ground in the event of an emergency. That’s why emergency planning is so critical for our clients. I would encourage everyone to visit www.getready.qld.gov.au for more information.

Geoff: Anything else you would like to add?

Terry: Members of the State CCC were proud and humbled to attend a celebration of Dr Yvonne Burns for her 50 year anniversary of involvement with CPL. Yvonne’s commitment to CPL and our clients is unquestionable and I, as Chair of the State CCC, wholeheartedly congratulate and thank her for her contributions.

It’s been a busy few months for the Parents and Guardians Association and its members.

Our members had a lovely afternoon celebrating with Mylestones Printing and CPL CEO Angela Tillmanns at an award ceremony acknowledging staff who had reached 10 years of employment.

We would like to thank Sandra Foster for organising a most pleasant afternoon, the high tea and award presentation was enjoyed by all.

P&G members were also privileged to attend the 50 years of service celebration for Dr

Yvonne Burns. We congratulate her on her milestone and thank her for her service.

The P&G would like to welcome Coral Neithe who has transitioned over from her position as a Regional Manager for CPL, to the role of My Life Statewide Manager.

We recognise that this service is transforming the way in which services are provided through CPL in readiness for the NDIS in 2016.

We look forward to utilising her many years of experience to ensure clients and all individuals supported through CPL achieve quality life outcomes.

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Double-dare to show you care this February. Climb a mountain, bungee jump, arm-wrestle your boss, it’s up to you how ballsy you want to be. Set your dares and get your friends to donate, the bigger the dare, the more dollars.

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