NDIS gives families the ultimate gift: time
Announcement posted by Heard Agency 27 Mar 2017
NDIS funding allows families to invest in time together, while Sunshine takes care of the rest
Sydney, 27 March 2017 – The NDIS has given a young Western Sydney family the gift of more valuable family time, thanks to the extended funding and services provided through the scheme.
Local family, the Cook’s have joined disability services provider Sunshine, placing their young son Liam into Vacation Care, where he has flourished, making new friends and is enjoying activities that his family wouldn’t otherwise be able to provide for him.
Sunshine has been able to take the pressure off the family and instead allowed them to spend quality time together as a unit.
Liam, who suffers from autism, has been enjoying Sunshine’s vacation care. Since joining, his mother has noticed a more calmer and happier son.
“The NDIS has given me the ability to send Liam to a group where he can access the support he needs instead of a generic group, and he is a lot happier than he has ever been,” said his mother Kylie Cook.
“They build a better relationship in the smaller groups than what they would with 30 other children and the staff are much more accessible than previously.”
One such staff member is Dalena Pangna, who runs the group activities and vacation care.
“These groups have been highly successful because the kids are always engaged. I could tell that Liam was picking up some really good skills which have helped him interact with other people,” said Dalena.
The NDIS has allowed Sunshine to extend their service offering, particularly in Western Sydney, where their focus is on providing a service where clients can spend time in the community.
For Liam, Sunshine has provided an environment where he can be more active, enjoying activities such as fishing and playing football.
“The NDIS has most definitely been a huge benefit to the family. Sunshine is able to take Liam out to activities that I couldn’t afford to do,” said his mum.
“Having a child with autism, it is a lot harder to take the entire family out and focus on everyone, when there are four other children to entertain. It’s been a great outcome for Liam.”
Direct Support Professional Dalena said, it’s the kids who drive the activities, “every week we like to encourage the kids to try new things. Sometimes we’ll take them bowling and sometimes to the aquarium or the park. It’s all dependant on their needs and wants” she said.
Quality staff such as Dalena are vital in ensuring kids like Liam reach their goals according to Sunshine CEO Rebecca Fletcher.
“Families want quality staff, that is why they come and that is why they stay. We focus heavily on recruiting the right support worker for each individual because we understand each client has different goals and expectations,” said Ms Fletcher.
“The additional NDIS funding has allowed us to extend our offering to more people like Liam and his family. The funding has allowed us to invest in more staff, and more personalised time with our clients, helping them in every way possible to lead a happier and more independent life to pursue the things they love”.
About Sunshine
Local family, the Cook’s have joined disability services provider Sunshine, placing their young son Liam into Vacation Care, where he has flourished, making new friends and is enjoying activities that his family wouldn’t otherwise be able to provide for him.
Sunshine has been able to take the pressure off the family and instead allowed them to spend quality time together as a unit.
Liam, who suffers from autism, has been enjoying Sunshine’s vacation care. Since joining, his mother has noticed a more calmer and happier son.
“The NDIS has given me the ability to send Liam to a group where he can access the support he needs instead of a generic group, and he is a lot happier than he has ever been,” said his mother Kylie Cook.
“They build a better relationship in the smaller groups than what they would with 30 other children and the staff are much more accessible than previously.”
One such staff member is Dalena Pangna, who runs the group activities and vacation care.
“These groups have been highly successful because the kids are always engaged. I could tell that Liam was picking up some really good skills which have helped him interact with other people,” said Dalena.
The NDIS has allowed Sunshine to extend their service offering, particularly in Western Sydney, where their focus is on providing a service where clients can spend time in the community.
For Liam, Sunshine has provided an environment where he can be more active, enjoying activities such as fishing and playing football.
“The NDIS has most definitely been a huge benefit to the family. Sunshine is able to take Liam out to activities that I couldn’t afford to do,” said his mum.
“Having a child with autism, it is a lot harder to take the entire family out and focus on everyone, when there are four other children to entertain. It’s been a great outcome for Liam.”
Direct Support Professional Dalena said, it’s the kids who drive the activities, “every week we like to encourage the kids to try new things. Sometimes we’ll take them bowling and sometimes to the aquarium or the park. It’s all dependant on their needs and wants” she said.
Quality staff such as Dalena are vital in ensuring kids like Liam reach their goals according to Sunshine CEO Rebecca Fletcher.
“Families want quality staff, that is why they come and that is why they stay. We focus heavily on recruiting the right support worker for each individual because we understand each client has different goals and expectations,” said Ms Fletcher.
“The additional NDIS funding has allowed us to extend our offering to more people like Liam and his family. The funding has allowed us to invest in more staff, and more personalised time with our clients, helping them in every way possible to lead a happier and more independent life to pursue the things they love”.
-ENDS-
About Sunshine
Since 1924, Sunshine has been supporting people with disability to live a great life. We are proud to say we are one of NSW’s leading NDIS service providers, providing support to people across Sydney, Nepean, Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Hunter regions. We are passionate about making a positive difference to the lives of those we support and believe in realising our vision of a world where every person is welcomed. For more information, visit www.sunshinelgd.org.au or call 1300 266 222.