in this issue >>> ISSUE

25

March—April 2017

Employees of the month.

Message from the

Management Committee

Day Program /

Accommodation news.

Section Reports

MACLEAY OPTIONS NEWSLETTER

NDIS provider # 405 000 2720

TOGETHER

WE CAN Do great things

The arrival and installation of balers is a huge boost for the

Macleay Options Recycling Enterprise, increasing efficiency

for transporting recyclables, some of which are shipped

overseas. This enterprise contributes to the community

through increasing employment, and also reducing landfill.

Blue is the plastics 50 tonne press, Yellow is the metal

spring 250 tonne press.

Transition to Work /Drop In Support /Ageing In

Place / Oasis Day Program & Life Choices news

This fabulous wheelchair bus, made possible by a very

generous donation from the Good Works Foundation, has been seeing great use already with the Oasis

Day program outings. Heather reports outing already are more exciting and have been made a lot easier

with this second bus which fits 2 wheelchairs, the group are

able to go further afield and have many new destinations

planned, such as Scott’s Head youth centre and Trial Bay Jail.

Always striving to provide variety and activities that present meaningful outcomes, Oasis Day program has been a hive of activity testing their skills at making (including painting) our first sets of stacking blocks and trying our hand and sewing some lovely lace and hessian table runners.

All the participants contribute to these in some way. From sorting the wood pieces, sanding, undercoat and top coat of paint. With the table runners cutting lengths and helping to glue and sew together.

Everyone has been enjoying the challenges of learning new capabilities, the achievements have been well celebrated by all involved.

Transition to Work Update: lots of study happening on the 3rd floor at Elbow St, West Kempsey.

Mary is currently studying Certificate III in animal Husbandry

Liam is currently studying Certificate III in sport coaching

Troy is currently studying Certificate III in Early childhood

Nathanial and Tyler are studying Certificate II in Retail

Jillian Is studying Certificate II in hair and beauty

Sharnee is 45% through completing Certificate IV in Real estate

Mitchall is Studying Certificate III Retail

All TTW clients are progressing through the driver training with plan's to expand accessibility for more driver training days a week .

The client have settled in nicely and have made the TTW office their own adding personal touches to their study cubicles

Construction is progressing well for ground floor training room for TTW clients who require a closed and quite environment in which to study .

“We’re all sorry to see you go Sue. Thank you for the leadership and support you have provided. While your time with Macleay Options is over we hope that the friendships we have made will endure. Best of luck in all your future endeavours from the entire Macleay Valley Connections team!”

In May we say goodbye to Programs Manager Sue

Mills as she moves onto a new career path.

Watch this

space!

Chook laying boxes are in high demand, made from recycled materials they are a great win for the environment too !

Macleay Pallets, are always in production for a local business who freights

internationally.

Day bed, made from recycled timber and

recycled mattress top

Bee hive boxes

A new product line being

developed A new range, and popular with Elbow St Store

customers

Real Estate pegs

Have been

popular

More new products for the

Elbow St Store.

The woodies crew is getting very creative… wonder

what this will be?

Chooooooook

chook chook chook

Did someone say

the shops have sold

out of chook box

stock again?

That’s 112 they’ve

sold so far…….

That’s 112 plastic drums saved from landfill!

In e

ach

new

slett

er

we a

re g

oin

g t

o r

evie

w a D

isab

ilit

y S

tan

dard

……

.

Management are in the process of converting to the National Standards.

Once this is completed training will be provided on all standards.

Below is an extract of the National Standard 3:

Individual Outcomes

The intent of this standard is to promote person-centred approaches to service delivery

whereby individuals lead and direct their services and supports.

Services used by people with disability are expected to be flexible and tailored to each

individual’s strengths and needs, and delivery positive outcomes. This includes an

individual’s disability as well as the need for services to competently recognise and respond

to issues related to age, gender, culture, heritage, language, faith, sexual identity,

relationship status, and other relevant factors.

Achieving individual outcomes requires collaboration between the individual and service

provider to ensure active choice and decision-making. This means a joint effort based on

mutual respect rather than the service making all the decisions. A focus on individual

outcomes includes individuals and services working together to review progress against

planned and measurable outcomes.

The standard also recognises the potential role, with the individual’s consent, of families,

friends, carers and advocates on planning, delivery and review, with the individual’s

consent. It encourages active dialogue between an individual, their families, friends, carers

and /or advocates and a service regarding the nature of the service or supports provided,

with a focus on the minimal restrictive options.

The standard emphasises the importance of:

People with disability leading and directing their supports with support from family,

friends, carers and advocates (with consent);

Service planning, implementation and review being based on individual strengths,

needs and life goals;

Collaboration and dialogue;

Responsiveness to diversity; and

Minimal restrictive options.

March and April are traditionally our wettest months, and its certainly keep the Mowhawks crews on their toes this year. It was all hands to the wheelbarrows to assist council with restoring Riverside Park to its fabulous condition after a minor flood

Please make sure to say hello and

welcome to the Mowhawks new

crew member:

Jackson Millard !

Are you on the mailing list for upcoming day trips and tours like the one to the NRL in July? Give Joab a call on 6562 2355 and he’ll happily pop you on the list.

https://www.facebook.com/MacleayOptionsInc

Are you keeping up with all our news? Find us on facebook;

like our page, share it with your friends and family, become involved and help us grow our

online community .

Eclecticwoodnthread our first online store is in the

process of being launched. It will feature a line of products from both Woodies

and Threads, we are looking forward to being able to send our products not only

Australia wide, but opening the door on international sales also.

April saw the official opening of phase one of our additional Retail Outlet at 19 Elbow Street.

Thank you to all who have visited and offered their support to the girls (Samantha and Kellie) and grabbed yourselves a bargain. We look forward to showing you the expanded version in the next newsletter edition. Stay tuned…….

VOLUNTEER/Work for the Dole Participant OF THE MONTH

Wayne Gadd

EMPLOYEE AWARDS March—April 2017

Steven Peet— Woodies March 2017 Adam Costello— Woodies April 2017

Maree Willis- Threads March 2017 Christina Pyne— Threads April 2017

Michael Murray— Mowhawks March 2017 John Edwards— Mowhawks April 2017

In recognition of having a good attendance, happy nature & being willing to work safely.

You can make a difference? Our fundraising and volunteer efforts go directly towards improving the lives of people with disabilities. The work and care provided by volunteers goes a long way to help them lead full

and rewarding lives and to take on their own valuable role in society. Our volunteers and supporters tell us they find it immensely rewarding to know that they are

making a difference at a very personal level.

Interested in volunteering? Why not call into the Administration office in Smith Street (up the staircase beside the shop) for a information pack today.

Threads has the NDS order back in full swing after a break. We are still making new orders for the Macleay Options retail outlets including cushions and bags printed with individual cute and Australiana designs. We have had two new orders to complete also. Bags for Baw Baw and tangelo coloured conference bags from cotton drill which headed to Western Australia, each of these bags had a special flyer packed into them showcasing what Threads is all about.

We would also like to welcome a new volunteer Ros who has been helping us with ironing and packing boxes.

March—April 2017

MOMACS NEWS!

The processing season is upon us, with the Momacs room ramping up into production.

Growers are enjoying record prices for Macadamia Nut within Australia, the pressure is on to ensure they take full advantage of the market.

Chocolates are popular in both the retail outlets now that the weather has cooled down, so there’s been lots of activity making fresh stock !

WOODIES NEWS! March and April have continued to be busy months for Woodies. We have been working on constant orders of Survey Pegs, Wood Boxes, Chook Boxes and Hardwood Pallets.

We have recently been experimenting with a number of larger recycled items including Day Beds, Porch Swings and Bench Seats.

The Recycling shed has been running well with the arrival of our new Bailing machine. Car washing has been typically busy also.

Woodies has proudly made our 1st ever Bee Box (including frames) which is an avenue we are excitedly looking into after a number of local Bee Keepers approaching us about manufacturing them.

Sam and James would like to thank all of our employees and volunteers for their continued hard work and efforts.

Wind, rain, mud and more mud ……….The Mowhawks crews handled adversity with professionalism during the recent heavy rains. Some areas of the Macleay copping a monstrous 500mm of rain, crews worked in the elements on occasions, with customers’ appreciation high. Crew supervisors co-ordinated the service delivery / relationship with customers on several rescheduled jobs due to the wet weather, and crews assisted each other on mowing jobs when they became dry enough to get machines on site before the next big down pour. Great teamwork all round! New crew member: a big welcome to Jackson who has started with the Mowhawks Also a big thank you: to Gavin strohfeldt for his services to the Mowhawks crews over the years, Gavin is now working in woodies , thanks GAV !