Community Living Project Inc.

17/07/2025

Enjoy collecting things, photography, or socialising? Want to make a difference in a person’s life?
A fixed roster in Old Reynella of 16 hours per week plus a fortnightly passive overnight.

I am a man in my late thirties looking for someone with significant work or life experience who can bring creative thinking to a role that will be both challenging and deeply rewarding.

My love of collecting things, coins, in particular, is important to me, and I want to be supported to do this safely and productively. I am interested in veganism and enjoy eating and sometimes cooking vegan food. I have a great sense of humour and am a master of the one-liner. I am inquisitive and enjoy a wide range of music, YouTube videos, often about cars, and binge-watching TV series.

A successful applicant will be patient, have strong social and negotiation skills, and appreciate the complexity of human behaviour. They will also be organised, practical, reliable, motivating, and enthusiastic. This role involves working closely with my family, my support team leader, and the support team around me to deliver support in line with my vision for a good life.

The role involves a commitment to a fixed fortnightly roster. Shifts will be on the same days and at the same times every fortnight, totalling 31.5 active hours and 9 passive hours.

Click the Learn More button for additional details, including shift timings and the link to Apply

Reynella, South Australia 5161, Australia • Part-time. Apply now and secure your next job today!

13/07/2025

“We could have easily just locked him in... but we knew we had to teach him the skills and give him the competencies around crossing the road safety.” Jan Kruger talks about decisions made from primary school helped her son Jack to be seen and known in his community. Jan says that being known kept Jack safe and that building skills in navigating his community on his own set him up for the next steps in his teenage and adult years.
“Shifting the yes buts, how being known can keep you safe…” was a memorable chat between John Armstrong and Jan Kruger at the Imagine More Get that Good Life conference, and gives a good taster to the other sessions. It’s available as a podcast.
Listen to Episode 28 of the Get that Good Life conference podcast, produced by Imagine More

Pic description: A group of 5 young students ride in single file on their bikes, on a path around a sporting oval. They are wearing uniforms and helmets, and have backpacks on. One has a basketball strapped to the back of the bike. Another is holding a large roll of paper in their hand.

Pic credit: Aaron Andrew Ang via Unsplash.

07/07/2025

Does the customised employment process work for someone with complex support needs?

Listen to Milton Tyree share his thoughts on customised employment in a 4 part series developed by CRU - Community Resource Unit Ltd.

In part 4 Milton explores the idea of natural supports - the way the company naturally train and teach a new person in the workplace, and that this is usually the best way to train a person with disabilities to do the job.

Pic description: screenshot from a youtube video, a man with grey hair and glasses is speaking to the camera. The caption reads: because natural supports are what a company always does.

29/06/2025

A new podcast which is presented entirely through voices of people with disabilities has been launched by Team DSC. The first episode has this great example of a worker who understands how to be the bridge to connection:

"...we'd just sort of sit near each other, but they knew me really well and were able to have conversations with other people and then bring things in and be like, "Oh, Kate, you know about this thing." And ask me questions. And then it sort of helped me start talking to other people because I didn't have to start it myself."

The episode also explored questions of boundaries between support workers and people they support, being friendly vs being a friend, and the importance of common interests. Listen to the cleverly titled "Don't F this up" podcast, hosted by Sara Gingold and produced by DSC.

Pic description: A group of six people sitting at an outdoor restaurant, chatting. They look relaxed, with drinks in front of them but not meals. The weather looks mild, the large outdoor umbrellas are all down, and the people are wearing long sleeved shirts, hoodies or long coats.
Photo by Oleg Yudin on Unsplash

23/06/2025

Our friends at CRU - Community Resource Unit Ltd. are hosting a premiere with Q&A and on-demand screenings of The Ride Ahead.

The screening will include open captions and audio descriptions. Use the shop now link on this post to get your free tickets.

Samuel Habib is a typical 21-year-old, itching to move out, start a career, and find love. But no one tells you how to be an adult, let alone an adult with a disability. Can a community of disability activists help him follow his dreams?

Samuel seeks out wisdom through conversations with disabled mentors including comedian Maysoon Zayid, Americans with Disabilities Act legends Judy Heumann and Bob Williams; Tony Award winner Ali Stroker; hip-hop artist Keith Jones; autistic, q***r activist Lydia X.Z. Brown; and marathon runner and disability activist Andrew Peterson.

Pic description: The Ride Ahead poster with a yellow and gray design of Samuel in his wheelchair on a road with his communication device in front of him showing the text “How you doin?” To his left are landmarks from New York, Niagara Falls, DC, St. Louis, and other locations in the film. Text on the poster reads “Love, tattoos, and other disabled things. THE RIDE AHEAD. A film by Samuel Habib & Dan Habib.” The cast and crew credits are listed at the bottom next to the Like Right Now Films logo.

10/06/2025

Some tips from Jane Sherwin on aspects that are easy to get wrong when we are supporting a person with a disability.

1. Providing activities rather than creating valued roles to build one’s identity.
A focus on keeping the person busy or occupied, such as filling a person’s diary with going places largely for enjoyment, is an example.

2. Doing to or doing for people.
Although this form of support can be out of liking or even loving the person, doing things for or to a person is likely to keep them in a dependent role and not open doors to roles for them to learn and become more competent in.

3. Not having a sense of direction.
A vision provides a chance to dream, to imagine what a better life might look like. It can be a challenge to allow oneself to dream when there have been disappointments in the past. Nevertheless, this step is essential not only for a sense of direction, but also for something that other people can commit to and support as well.

The original text was authored by Jane Sherwin and was taken from SRV matters edition 11, published March 2025.
SRV Matters is published by the Australian Social Role Valorisation Association (ASRVA).

Pic description: A calendar opened to a new month with each date in a square.

03/06/2025

“It is difficult to work for better lives for people with a devalued status if the language used to describe people’s woundings are prohibited.”

Jane Sherwin, senior trainer in Social Role Valorisation (SRV), recently wrote about the issues arising from moves in the United States to roll back Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Jane says learning the theories of SRV “lifts the blinds in our minds”, and makes us conscious of a person’s experience and wounding. She says an absence of DEI language and programs will lock those blinds in a closed position.

Jane discussed the impact of widespread banning of terms such as ‘marginalised’, ‘person-centred care’, ‘unconscious bias’, ‘racial inequality’ and ‘sense of belonging’, and how restricting these words denies the lived experiences that sit behind the words.

“For example, how can we argue for the good and valued things of life if we can’t talk about the issue or see the possibilities for better?”

The original text was authored by Jane Sherwin and was taken from SRV matters edition 12, published March 2025.
SRV Matters is published by the Australian Social Role Valorisation Association (ASRVA).

Pic description: Looking out of a large window with horizontal blinds turned to open and let the light in. The view is to a lush green garden in soft light.

25/05/2025

Thoughts on why a board of management needs members who have disabilities.
‘The more people identify with each other, the more they are likely to want good things to happen to each other’. Wolf Wolfensberger

In a recent article, Jenny Smith wrote about how this principle of interpersonal identification is a critical factor in the make up of a board of management.

“Interpersonal identification is important for board members because it can be a strong safeguard for good practice. It can ensure that the purpose of the organisation is well informed by the very people for whom positive change is being sought, rather than imposed by potentially misguided thinking about what will result in better lives.”

Jenny explained that when people who are supported by an organisation have a voice on the board it leads to generally better outcomes for both the people supported and the organisation, including:
Improved alignment with the organisation’s vision and mission
Better governance practices
A better understanding of people’s needs
Recognition of potential risks
Improved decision-making.

Image description: A platter with fresh apples. One apple is red, the others are all green. Text reads ‘The more people identify with each other, the more they are likely to want good things to happen to each other’. Wolf Wolfensberger

The original text was authored by Jane Sherwin and was taken from SRV matters edition 16, published May 2025.
SRV Matters is published by the Australian Social Role Valorisation Association (ASRVA).

19/05/2025

Formal vs informal supports, what does it mean? And where do friends, allies and supporters fit when a person also receives paid supports? In a recent article Greg Mackay wrote about the concept of ‘personalism’, which describes alternative ways of approaching paid formal supports.

Greg asked “How might we have seen outpourings of personalistic responses?” and provided examples:

It is seen in Individuals assisting people completely informally, as friends – no services, no funding.
It is seen in help-giving by family members and by neighbours.
It is seen in help-giving by work colleagues and team mates.
It is also seen in advocacy programs that stand alongside the vulnerable individual even when funding withdrawal is threatened.
Circles of Support is an example of a funded service inviting the participation of an ordinary community member to step into the life of a vulnerable individual.

The original text was authored by Greg Mackay and was taken from SRV matters edition 13, published April 2025.
SRV Matters is published by the Australian Social Role Valorisation Association (ASRVA).

Pic description: A man and a woman stand at a city intersection. They are relaxed and glancing across the street. They have bags slung over their shoulders and look like they are out to do some shopping.

11/05/2025

Some food for thought on how operating in a way that is truly person-centred and underpinned by valued roles, can make a difference…

Trevor was linked in with the local volunteer clean-up crew. Trevor doesn’t like getting his hands dirty, he has a cleaner at home. (Thinking critically about what is presented as belonging)

Bill wants to start playing basketball again and he was signed up for the sheltered workshop team. Did the support service check the local paper for local team registrations or where Bill’s school team mates play now? (Strategic questioning)

John’s service provider thinks that John is at risk living alone. When John slipped in his bathroom his neighbour rang the ambulance and his girlfriend looked after his cat. (Strategic listening and observing)

Ron’s family don’t like his neighbour Jeff. When Ron was in hospital Jeff visited every day; his family didn’t visit. (Recognising, valuing and supporting authentic relationships)

Ben loves music and is taken to a congregated daytime disco once a month. The same venue hosts music events five nights a week that are very popular with Ben’s generation – the latter is a more valued option. (Challenging what is not normative)

The original text was authored by Fiona Campbell and was taken from SRV matters edition 14, published April 2025.
SRV Matters is published by the Australian Social Role Valorisation Association (ASRVA).

Pic description: A young adult man wearing a casual button up shirt and dark framed glasses leans in closely to pat a ginger tabby cat. They are indoors, and the cat is sitting on a soft ottoman.

06/05/2025

Have you heard of Citizen Advocacy? It’s a form of advocacy that is underpinned by the principles of Social Role Valorisation (SRV).

Paid staff from the Citizen Advocacy office get to know the person who is vulnerable so they have a good understanding of their circumstances and needs. They then find a citizen, an unpaid person who is a good fit with that person. The citizen is supported with orientation and introduction to the person, but works independently of the agency, in a relationship that is natural and organic.

Sharon Lowe, from a Queensland based Citizen Advocacy office, recently wrote about how the Citizen then goes on to support, defend, encourage and do whatever it takes to make life better for the person.

“One by one, I’ve witnessed advocates save lives; organise housing, work, schooling; be by their side as they have come out of prison; protect their rights; help mend family relationships; welcome them into their own families; become a true friend – being there in ordinary ways just like culturally typical freely-given relationships. These relationships have had a positive impact for both parties.”

There is a Citizen Advocacy office in South Australia. You can find their contact details on their Citizen Advocacy SA website.

Quote from Sharon Lowe was taken from SRV matters edition 15, published May 2025.
SRV Matters is published by the Australian Social Role Valorisation Association (ASRVA).

Pic description: Two women are outdoors in the sunlight. They are mid-conversation, smiling at each other.

05/05/2025

Learn about individualised living and the innovative ways people with disability have created their own home, while getting the support they need. This workshop encourages South Australians to attend as some content focuses on SA matters.

This workshop will help you find alternatives to traditional supported accommodation and help you think, plan and implement individualised living and a good life for a person with disability.

Online by Zoom, Wed 21 and Thu 22 May, 5.30pm to 8pm, ACST (2 part workshop). Click the Learn More button to go to the booking page.

Pic description: Flyer for the event including text posted above and a photo of presenters and logos for NACBO, My Home My Way and Resourcing Inclusive Communities.