Getting to the Heart of What Matters :

A two day workshop for support workers

Course outline

Paid staff can make a significant contribution to the life of a person with disability – enabling the person to live a rich life and pursue their unique goals and dreams.

What lies at the heart of the role is, however, frequently invisible. When we fall into the habit of talking about ‘hours’, tasks, routines and schedules, it’s easy to be distracted from what really matters about supporting people well.

This two day workshop is highly interactive and offers many practical strategies to assist you in your role.

Day 1 offers an opportunity for support workers to critically reflect on the purpose of their role and the values that drive support. Day 2 extends on foundational topics and delves into some of the complexities of support work.

"(Support) requires a certain humility on the part of staff, letting go of control, a willingness to follow rather than lead" Susan Stanfield

Day 1: an introduction to effective support work

Day 1 offers an introduction to effective support work that focuses on the following topics:
The purpose of support work
Getting to know the person
Valued roles
Promoting friendships & relationships
Connecting people to community
Barriers to good support

Day 2: getting to greater depth in support work

Day 2 delves into some of the complexities of support work, particularly in relation to:
Effective working relationships with people with disability & families
Extending relationship & community building
Identifying places of welcome
Developing skills & competencies
Supporting people to make choices

Who is this workshop for?

This training is for support workers who are directly assisting a person with disability to live a good life in community. Completion of Day 1 of the workshop is a prerequisite for attending Day 2.

If you or your organisation wants to register more than four workers, please contact CRU to discuss this.

NB: This workshop was redesigned at the end of 2020 from a one-day course to two days. If you have attended the one-day "Getting to the Heart of what Matters" workshop at CRU prior to October 2020, then you may want to consider attending Day 2 only (cost $150pp).

Completion of Day 1 is a prerequisite for attending Day 2.

About the Presenters:

Our experienced disability consultants and presenters bring a wealth of experience in supporting people with disability and families in their efforts towards a good and ordinary life. The content of our workshops is brought to life through the sharing of examples and personal stories that illustrate how the ideas can be implemented.

Download the flyer here (pdf)

Download the accessible flyer here (word)

NDIS Participants:

See the Learning Objectives below to help you decide if this is a reasonable and necessary support to help you (or your family member) achieve your goals.

Learning Outcomes:

Potential links to participant goals*

Identify the elements of a good life and reflect on assumptions about people with disabilities’ right to and the possibility of a good life.

Strengthens focus on goals of participant;
Encourages critical reflection on practices that may undermine the achievement of a participant’s goals.

Begin to develop a framework for thinking about the role of a support worker in their own particular contexts.

Contextualises learning to the goals, aspirations and support needs of the participant they are supporting.

Understand Valued Social Roles and how the concept can be used to support people to have access to the good things of life.

Enhances ability to work to support greater & more meaningful social and economic participation;

Understand the importance of friendships and relationships and analyse what can get in the way of relationships for people with disability.

Enhances ability to work to support new friendships & relationships and to deepen existing relationships;
Enhances ability to work to support greater & more meaningful social participation;
Enhances ability to work to support development of informal supports.

Identify factors and strategies that make belonging in community more likely.

Enhances ability to work to support greater & more meaningful social and economic participation;
Enhances ability to work to support development of informal supports.
Strategies for supporting greater independence.

* every person has unique goals and aspirations. This information is provided to assist NDIS participants and their supporters determine whether the learning outcomes relate to the participant’s goals.

Community Resource Unit Ltd.

CRU has a 30 year track record of working across Queensland to help people with a disability take control of their lives and take their place in their community

Contact CRU if you need assistance or are unable to register online, by calling (07) 3844 2211 or email us at cru@cru.org.au

Enquiries:

For more information, please call us or visit the "Fee for Service" page on the CRU website

Venue and Parking:

Information about getting to CRU and parking options can be found here

Fees & Cancellation:

If price is a barrier then please contact us to discuss your options further. To see our Cancellation Policy please visit the CRU website.