Person centred newsletter june 2013

............. Northcott Person Centred Newsletter • June 2013 • 1 ...........

Our monthly newsletter offers small and real examples from people we support who are having a stronger voice, more control over their lives and more choices.

Are you lining up behind your frontline workers?

Sue Campbell-Ross tells us of her career-changing conversation with Stephen Stirk…

June 2013

“I’d like all the frontline workers here today to stand up!” I was one of only two frontline workers in a group of 25

senior managers attending the CDS Breakfast Conversation, and so reluctantly stood up. “Look at these workers

- these are the most important ones you have. They provide the only measurable value that your organisation has.

The quality of what happens in the space between frontline workers and the people they support is the key to your

organisation’s success! Are you lining up behind your frontline workers?” Stephen asked the stunned managers.

Stephen, HR and Organisational Development Director with United Response, a large UK disability organisation,

and the ‘Conversation Catalyst’ at this Breakfast Conversation, further challenged the audience to think how they

could adopt a number of thoughts, ideas, advice, tools and strategies to build Person Centred Organisations. I was

inspired to take some of Stephen’s ideas and trial them. I used the Team Profile and the Team Charter at a staff

development day. The Team Profile tool which focuses on the team purpose got this reaction from one frontline

worker: “It was the most powerful thing of the day – I come to work each day and try to do a great job, but I hadn’t

really thought of the purpose of the team before”. Other staff feedback indicated that the tools had provided them

with a strong collaborative team direction.

Our team at Penrith, is

going to look at Positive and

Productive Meetings at our

next office meeting – I’ll keep

you posted! For me, the

Breakfast was the catalyst

for a career-changing

conversation, firstly with

Stephen, and now with my

colleagues and the teams I

come into contact with.

Sue Campbell-Ross


Our most valuable asset – our frontline workers! Thanks to Parramatta Community Participation team for sharing their Team Purpose.

Did you know?Northcott Knowledge, our staff induction manual, has sections that focus on values and person centred practice. You can use the Knowledge to have conversations with new staff in induction as well as in regular supervision.

Want to read more about Stephen Stirk? Breakfast attendees were given copies of his latest book, Creating Person-Centred Organisations – ask Judi Lipp, our Librarian, to lend you a copy.

What we like and admire about one another


Creating a different future through conversations

“Creating a future different from

the past comes from creating

a new set of conversations. To

create a new future we need

to create a new story” – this is

the approach to change taken

by Peter Block. The recent

CDS Breakfast Conversation

Series was based on Block’s

approach to change. Funded

by the NDIS Practical Design

Fund, CDS invited ‘catalysts’

that could provoke, stimulate

and challenge people to

engage in the essential

conversations necessary

for disability services to

change. They included

people who had already

broken the disability service

mould – Lorna Sullivan,

Michael Kendrick, and

Stephen Stirk.

What is the new story for your service? Have you started having new conversations in your organisation?

For more about Peter Block: http://peterblock.com/about_peter/


Representing the Voice

of Disability at the Breakfast Conversation

Ben Keyte and Shirls Wong, were Breakfast Steering Committee members, and their role was to begin and finish each breakfast session with personal reflections of the issues under vibrant discussion. Their contributions have been captured on massive posters that give a bright visual description of each Breakfast.

Ben and Shirls’ contributions from Conversation Five: Commitment

"It was a great opportunity to attend and talk about our personal experiences to people.I really liked listening to Lorna Sullivan.I now want to do my own 'Friendship Circle' - which is about getting people involved to support me."ShirlsShirls will be talking about her Friendship Circle in the next newsletter

"It was rich, it was full of information which really opened my eyes about future possibilities for me and my mates."Ben


COMMUNITIES in PRACTICE

• Have you ever wanted to exchange ideas about person centred practice and learn from others?

• Ever wanted to hear and learn about new approaches, techniques or tools?

If ‘YES!’, then a Community in Practice is the thing for you. As part of the Person Centred Approaches Program, National Disability Services (NDS) have funded Communities in Practice around the State. Beginning soon, there will be a number of Communty in Practice regular meetings facilitated by different agencies.

In Sydney Metro North, there will be meetings in Hornsby, Parramatta and Penrith, facilitated by Northcott. Contact Liz Hopkins on 9890 0517.

See Below for Communities in Practice in your area:

Metro South Macarthur Disability Services Jaye Toole [email protected] 02 4621 8400

NorthernOn-FocusFiona [email protected] 6662 2333

SouthernThe Disability Trust Matt Martin [email protected] 02 4255 8034

Hunter Lifestyle Solutions Mandy Murtagh [email protected] 4014 7800

Western Kurrajong Waratah Janet Laws [email protected] 02 6938 4100


To experience a successful and vibrant person centred community of practitioners, come along to the next gathering of the NSW Person Centred Learning Community. Set up over six years ago by people who had all attended a MAPS and PATH training course, it meets regularly to share and learn about better person-centred practice. Workers from ADHC, Sunnyfield, Achieve, Eastern Recreation and Respite, Greenacres, Pathways to Leadership and Northcott attended a recent gathering which, using the 4 + 1 tool, examined the advent of DisabilityCare Australia.

You are invited to the next gathering at Burwood Park Community Centre, Burwood, on July 18th from 10.00am to 3.00pm. Come, be stimulated by ideas, learn new skills and indulge in an opportunity to reflect on your person centred practice!

NSW Person Centred Learning Community


MENTORING THE NEW CHAMPIONS

The ‘new’ generation of person-centred Champions at Roselands are being supported to develop their skills, knowledge and confidence with the help of Mentors. The Mentoring Program pairs up new Champions with experienced Champions to create opportunities for reflection.

Mentors and Champions are meeting about once a month for Mentoring sessions. At this the 4 + 1 tool is used – which asks 5 questions of the Champions which enable them to reflect on their role:

1. What have you tried?

2. What have you learned?

3. What are you pleased about?

4. What are you concerned about?

5. What are you going to do next?

Maria with her Mentor, Ben

Aaron with his Mentor, Shirley

Belinda with her Mentor, Sarah


SPORTING PASSIONSThe person centred Champions have just finished a 3 session Presentation Skills course during which they developed confidence and skills in presenting which they showed off in their individual presentations.

Aaron, Travis and Vaughn all gave passionate presentations about sport, for them it is more important than life and death!

Trav shared his love of bodybuilding for people with cerebral palsy in his presentation which included a YouTube clip of the international CP Bodybuilding Championships


As an avid Bronchos fan, Aaron was stirring up some Maroon Madness in preparation for the State of Origin series.

Vaughn gave a rousing presentation about the Push and Power Rugby League in which he plays.

............ Northcott Person Centred Newsletter • June 2013 • 10 ...........

UPCOMING CONFERENCES

THE UNCONFERENCE - A Participant-Driven GatheringFrom Effectiveness to greatness

Hunter Valley Hotel Academy, Kurri Kurri NSW 12 - 14 June 2013

From Effectiveness to greatness - Being effective as individuals and organisations is no longer optional in today's world - it's the price of entry to the playing field. SURVIVING, THRIVING, INNOVATING, EXCELLING AND LEADING in this new reality will require us to build on and reach beyond effectiveness.

REGISTER ON-LINE www.pathwaystoleadership.com.au

DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS CONFERENCE 2013

Registration is now open! Early bird price - $390 Includes welcome reception

University of Sydney (Camperdown) Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 July

To register go to www.cds.med.usyd.edu.au

For all enquiries please contact: Vera Laptev – [email protected] or 02 9036 3610

Belonging Matters is pleased to announce its 5th One Person at a Time Conference. This year the theme is ‘What Could Be’

Hold the date: 13 – 14 August in Blackburn, Victoria.

Further information Web: www.belongingmatters.org Email: [email protected] Phone: 03 97398333

If you have any small example of people having greater choice, voice or control in their life or in the work place, we would love to tell others about it in our Newsletter – so please give me a call on 9890 0517 or email me on [email protected].

Thanks, Liz Hopkins.

Send us your great person centred news!

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Person centred newsletter june 2013