Community Participation Program
The Community Participation Program provides eligible school leavers with a disability the opportunity for continued learning and life skill development to enable them to increase their independence, achieve their life goals and actively participate within the community. The program is targeted at young people with a disability with moderate, high, very high and exceptional support needs, who require an alternative to paid employment or further education in the medium or longer term.
Castle’s Community Participation Program operates out of our Roe Street premises which houses specialised training rooms, is centrally located in Mayfield’s CBD and is easily accessible by public transport.
Upon entry to Castle’s Community Participation program each program participant has an Initial Needs Profile developed, this will identify the client strengths and abilities as well as highlighting any areas in which the client will require assistance. This information will be used when the client has an individual planning meeting and decides what goals and aspirations they would like to achieve. The individual plan also identifies the services and strategies that will be put in place to assist the person to achieve those goals. The plan is developed in conjunction with the participant, their family, carer and/or advocate.
Activities and Services
The planning process adopted by Castle’s Community Participation program is based on the concept of “person-centred approach” and is broken into six life areas, including, but not limited to:
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Life Skills - Independent living, budgeting, money management, literacy, numeracy, travel training, time skills
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Social - Group recreational activities, social competencies, individual social activities, community access
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Personal – Health and wellbeing, hygiene and grooming, confidence and self esteem, communication
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Physical – Exercise, sport, nutrition and diet
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Adult Learning and Work – Course enrolment, computer skills, work experience, volunteer work
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Other – For example behaviour support
Each service user is offered a minimum of 24 hours support a week in activities both onsite and within the community and in a combination of group and individual sessions. Individual sessions are conducted on a needs basis to assist individuals to achieve their desired goals, whilst community sessions allow participants to practise skills learnt within the group work environment.
The program has a monthly generic calendar which is customised to reflect the individual client’s goals. We also have a monthly night out where clients decide the venue and activity. Please click here to view an example of a monthly generic calendar and the activities we offer in our program.