The Hand Up Space

04/05/2026

If you’ve been watching what’s happening to the NDIS and feeling that slow, sick “this isn’t right” feeling… this is your moment to actually do something about it.

PROTECT OUR NDIS – National Day of Action
🗓 Saturday 9 May
⏰ 2pm
📍 Sydney Town Hall (on Gadigal Country)

This isn’t just another rally. This is about real people losing real supports while decisions get made in rooms far away from the consequences.

Let’s be clear — funding cuts don’t land softly. They land on disabled people. On our safety. Our independence. Our dignity.

And yes, I’m looking directly at you, Mark Butler.

Who will be there?

– Disabled people who are done being polite about it
– Families who are exhausted from fighting the system
– Support coordinators, providers, advocates who actually give a damn
– Anyone who understands that this scheme was never meant to be quietly dismantled

If you care about the future of the NDIS…
If you care about participant rights being chipped away…
If you’re tired of watching people fall through the cracks while it gets reframed as “economic reform”…

Come.

Stand there. Be counted. Be loud if you want, or just show up and hold the line.

Because “NDIS benefits us all” only stays true if we protect it.

Neens 👋🏽

03/05/2026

Not dramatic. I just said the quiet part out loud 😬

That is the system right? And this is exactly why Support Coordination is such a crucial support to help participants navigate such a challenging bureaucracy

Neens

26/04/2026

Hey legends, I’m on leave now

Back Monday May 4 👋🏽

For the next little while, I’m slowing things right down — real rest, not the fake kind where you’re still half working 😅

With all the recent NDIS changes, this role can get heavy. A lot of moving parts, a lot of pressure, and a lot of people relying on you to get it right. You don’t stay good at this by running yourself into the ground.

So… I’m heading to a wheelchair accessible cabin down the coast.

Current agenda:
🐬 Dolphin watching
🦭 Seal spotting
📖 Book in the sun
🍽️ Finding a pub for bangers & mash

Simple, but needed.

I’ve learnt that if I take a couple of these breaks a year, I come back clearer, steadier, and way more effective for my participants.

Sustainable > burnt out. Always.

Neens 👋🏽

26/04/2026

Alright legends👋🏽

I’m officially on leave and will be back Monday May 4.

For the next little bit, I’m doing something I don’t do nearly enough of… resting. Properly. Not the “answer a few emails from bed” version 😅 — actual rest, and reconnecting with things I enjoy outside of work.

With all the recent changes announced around the NDIS, from Mark Butler, the landscape for Support Coordination is shifting (again). It’s a lot — for participants, for providers, and for those of us sitting in the middle trying to hold the line and keep things steady.

And here’s the honest bit… you can’t do this role well if you’re running on empty. This work requires clarity, boundaries, strategy, and a whole lot of emotional regulation. That doesn’t happen by pushing through burnout.

So I’ve rented a wheelchair accessible cabin down the coast 🌊
Plan is simple:
– Watch dolphins and seals doing their thing
– Read a book in the sun
– Find a good pub and absolutely demolish a plate of bangers and mash

Nothing groundbreaking… but exactly what I need.

Because when I take proper breaks like this a couple of times a year, I come back sharper, calmer, and far more useful to the people I support. Better decisions, better advocacy, better outcomes.

That’s the goal. Not just working hard — but working sustainably.

See you all on the other side.

Neens 👋🏽

22/04/2026

Okay… deep breath everyone

You might’ve seen Mark Butler in the news yesterday talking about changes to the NDIS. And yep — it’s stirred up a lot of stress, confusion, and “what does this actually mean for me?” energy.

Let’s break it down simply:

👉 Nothing changes overnight
There are no sudden cuts to your current plan today. You’re not waking up tomorrow with supports gone.

👉 The focus is on “sustainability”
Translation: the government is trying to slow how fast the scheme is growing. That usually means tighter decisions around new plans, reassessments, and what gets funded.

👉 Reviews may feel stricter
You might notice more questions, more evidence requests, and less flexibility in what’s approved.

👉 It’s not the end of the NDIS
Despite the headlines, the scheme isn’t being scrapped. It’s being reshaped (and probably not in ways everyone agrees with and rightly so)

👉 Your voice still matters
If something doesn’t make sense or doesn’t meet your needs — push back. That’s literally how this system is supposed to work.

I know this stuff hits hard. Especially when you’re already juggling disability, life, and a system that doesn’t exactly make things easy.

So if you’re feeling overwhelmed — that’s valid. But you don’t need to spiral just yet.

Stay informed. Ask questions. And don’t make big decisions based on headlines alone.

We’ve navigated hard things before in this space… and we’ll navigate this too.

Neens 👋🏽

Securing the NDIS for future generations outlines how we will protect the NDIS for people with permanent and significant disability and for future generations who will rely on it.

06/04/2026

Since Jan I’ve been using … and I’ve been quietly clocking the impact.

2–3 hours a week back.

That’s not “nice to have” time. That’s survival time in Support Coordination.

Less admin. Less noise. More actual work getting done.

And living with MS?
Time = energy.

So every hour I don’t waste on clunky systems is energy I can spend where it actually counts… like getting out of the house and hitting Robertson Pie Shop instead of being glued to a screen.

This is what efficiency should look like in our space.

PS – yes, the sparkly earrings are intentional 💁🏽‍♀️
Made by Wollongong local Trudee is an NDIS participant living with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Go back her—she’s unreal.

Neens 👋🏽

02/04/2026

17 years ago Patricia (to my left) and I were sitting in a TAFE classroom studying Community Services…

Today? Lunch. Same energy, just a little more lived experience behind it.

She’s now an incredible support worker at and I’m a Support Coordinator… and somehow we’ve ended up supporting mutual participants.

Full circle moment.

Also got reminded I was the one who challenged the teachers back then… nothing’s changed 😅

Small world. Good humans. Still doing the work.

Happy Easter 🐣
Neens 👋🏽

29/03/2026

Not your typical morning routine… being wheeled onto a commode, a shower, then straight into the complex world of Specialist Support Coordination. Mornings like this remind me why every participant’s journey matters. 💪🏽

Neens ✋🏼

22/03/2026

✨ The Illawarra Support Coordination Alliance is back! ✨

🗓 When: Wednesday 25th March
⏰ Time: 1 PM
📍 Where: – free on-site parking!

This month we’ve got Alex from joining us. AbleFinder is a brilliant platform that links participants and providers in a safe, no-pressure way. Perfect for us in our SC roles – saves time and connects us with trusted providers.

🍴 Free lunch provided by Real Life Community Group
♿ Fully accessible, including bathroom

All are welcome – come for the chat, the connections, and the lunch 😉

Neens 👋🏽 and Michelle

18/03/2026

A day in my life as a Specialist Support Coordinator!!

• Slow start… sinus infection + MS fatigue = not cute.
• Home visit vibes 💛 Face-to-face still wins every time – you see the wins you just can’t capture on a screen.
• Big moment: NDIS funded their new wheelchair! Small wheels, big freedom 😎
• Feeling proud: Level 3 participant making real progress. The right team + Hospital Liaison = magic. Fast outcomes, happy lives, my kind of work.
• Tomorrow: deep dive with an OT and participant about life transitions. Heavy but important stuff.

Neens ✋🏼

05/03/2026

Big news – I’m officially an Astalty Ambassador! 🙌🏽

is a game-changer for busy Support Coordinators like me, especially living with MS. It’s helped reduce my cognitive load, streamline my day, and keep me on top of all the moving pieces that come with this job.

What an absolute honour to be part of this. I hope you’re proud of me 😎💜 Massive thanks to the Astalty team for trusting me with this role – I’m excited to share the magic with others!

27/02/2026

Today Maria and I road-tripped to Sydney to check out the brand new facility at Lidcombe… and WOW.

We were seriously impressed.

The gym? Incredible.
Seeing people with MS rocking up with their support workers, getting stuck into exercise, laughing, connecting — you could actually feel the community in the room. It wasn’t clinical. It was energising.

Then we toured one of the 2-bedroom SDA apartments onsite… and honestly? Best I’ve seen.

Spacious. Thoughtful. Proper attention to detail.
Even a storage room for mobility scooters (which anyone in this life knows is a BIG deal).

It just hits differently knowing a place like this exists — purpose built, integrated, and actually designed with people in mind.

Huge thanks to Kelly from MS Employment Support Services for the tour and the catch up 🤍

Now I’m just over here wishing Wollongong had something like this… because we absolutely should.

Neens 👋🏽