Family Advocacy NSW

Resourcing Inclusive Communities (an initiative of Family Advocacy) is hosting a free webinar on 11 February called "Accessing Work Experience Through School Webinar." Learn how to successfully navigate work experience opportunities for your young person while at school. Work Experience should be a positive experience for the student and start them on their journey towards paid, open and meaningful employment. The main goal is to create personalised experiences based on the young person's interests, contributions, and conditions for success. This is most likely to have the best outcomes. This free webinar will cover; - Working with schools to ensure optimum work experience - Why starting early is essential - Engaging with employers - Getting the supports right - How to successfully approach roles and tasks Who is this for? This webinar is for families of secondary school students who are considering work experience in the future. Education, health and disability professionals are invited as well. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gaWQJc5j

📢Just a friendly reminder that NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) survey of the Higher School Certificate (HSC) Disability Provisions Program, ends 6 January 2024. If you are a parent or carer of an HSC graduate who applied for provisions through the Disability Provisions Program in 2021–2023, you are invited to participate in their 10 minute survey. They will ask you about: 1. Your experience applying for disability provisions for your child 2. What you found helpful or unhelpful during the process 3. Your experience with the appeals process 4. How helpful your child found the provisions for equitable participation in HSC exams SURVEY LINK: https://lnkd.in/gWGgPc7z... We are in the process of advocating for more time to answer this survey and provide feedback. Please call Leanne or email leanne@family-advocacy.com if you wish to share any input on the HSC Disability provisions. #EducationMatters #AccessibleEducation #DisabilityProvisionsProgram #HigherSchoolCertificateDisabilityProvisionsProgram

It's nearly the end of 2024 and a good time to reflect on the volume of work that took place across our organisation, all aimed at progressing the rights and interests of people with disability. This is illustrated in the infographic below, and covered in our Annual Report 2023-2024, which can be downloaded as PDF and as an accessible word document here: https://lnkd.in/gyTnYEUM. With a dedicated team, alongside many members and the broader disability community, much has been achieved; however, as we are all aware, this must lead to actual change. We look forward to continuing our work with people with disability, their families and allies next year. #FamilyAdvocacy #AnnualReport #EndOfYear2024

🌟 Your Voice Matters: Support Inclusive Education Research 🌟 Are you the parent or carer of a primary-aged child living with a disability and enrolled in the NSW public education system? This is your chance to make a difference! A passionate PhD student, Charlotte Chilvers, is conducting a vital study aimed at promoting a more inclusive future for children with disabilities in our schools. By sharing your experiences, you can help shape meaningful change. Participation involves: ✅ A 1-hour interview (face-to-face or via Zoom) about your journey supporting your child's access to and participation in school life. ✅ (Optional) Your child can also share their experiences in a 50-minute face-to-face interview. Why participate? 1. Your insights will contribute to understanding the challenges and successes within our education system. 2. Together, we can work towards building a better, more inclusive tomorrow for all students. If you’re interested or have any questions, please reach out to Associate Professor Belinda Smith at belinda.smith@sydney.edu.au and Charlotte Chilvers at charlotte.chilvers@sydney.edu.au Let’s come together to pave the way for positive change. #Inclusion #DisabilityAdvocacy #PhDResearch #InclusiveEducation

📢 NESA is Reviewing the HSC Disability Provisions Program After many years of advocating for this, we are pleased to see the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) is conducting a review of the Higher School Certificate (HSC) Disability Provisions Program, through an independent consultancy, Urbis. However, what we are not pleased about is the terrible timing of this. If you are a parent or carer of an HSC graduate who applied for provisions through the Disability Provisions Program in 2021–2023, you are invited to participate in their 10 minute survey which ends 6 January 2024. The survey will ask about: 1. Your experience applying for disability provisions for your child 2. What you found helpful or unhelpful during the process 3. Your experience with the appeals process 4. How helpful your child found the provisions for equitable participation in HSC exams SURVEY LINK: https://lnkd.in/gQc7sjTb We are in the process of advocating for more time to answer this survey and provide feedback. Please call Leanne or email leanne@family-advocacy.com if you wish to share any input on the HSC Disability provisions. #EducationMatters #AccessibleEducation #DisabilityProvisionsProgram #HigherSchoolCertificateDisabilityProvisionsProgram

Want to help us improve the health of our Inclusion Library? Family Advocacy is looking for a passionate volunteer to dedicate 80 hours to enhancing our Inclusion Library. This role involves a mix of on-site work in Hornsby and remote support, offering flexibility while contributing to an advocacy-focused project. Key responsibilities include auditing, updating, and improving the accessibility and organisation of our online resource collection: https://lnkd.in/gyDzKE62 Tasks include updating resource data, addressing data entry issues, and adding new search categories to each resource. We’re looking for someone with attention to detail, basic knowledge of content management systems, and an interest in advocacy and inclusivity. Experience in library science, cataloguing, or metadata management is a plus. As a valued volunteer, you’ll receive a certificate of appreciation and a token of gratitude for your support. To apply, send a cover letter addressing the criteria to admin@family-advocacy.com #VolunteerOpportunity #InclusionLibrary #DisabilityInclusion #FamilyAdvocacy

The Management Committee and staff at Family Advocacy and its initiative Resourcing Inclusive Communities thank you for your support throughout 2024. We wish you and your family a joyous festive season and all the best for the coming year. Our office will close at close of business (5pm) on Friday, 20 December 2024, and will reopen at 9am on Thursday, 2 January 2025

Recommended Resource for December 2024, "Just give him the Whale", Read here: https://lnkd.in/gas53RgR With many families now in term 4 review of their child’s IEPs or perhaps when looking to transition planning for next year, this book provides guidance for both educators and parents on how to use a student’s special interests, strengths and interests to assist in motivation and calming strategies in the classroom. All of which can lead to increasing a child’s engagement in, and love of learning. The strategies introduced in this book by the authors, can be utilised to create effective goals in your student’s IEP’s. Want another resource? Check out our inclusive collection. https://lnkd.in/gyDzKE62 #InclusionCollection #InclusionLibrary #InclusiveLibrary #CreatingInclusion #Inclusion #InclusiveCommunities #ResourceOftheMonth #Advocacy #AdvocacyTips #FamilyAdvocacy

“Walking with us means the health community is inclusive and continually improving outcomes.” Penny https://lnkd.in/gcqFHbSy

The NSW Government has released its response to the final report on inquiry into children and young people with disability in New South Wales educational settings. We note with the recommendations, there were 7 Noted, 7 Supported (all things that are already underway), 13 Supported in Principle, and the only recommendation that is Not Supported by the NSW government is the need for an independent oversight body. We are particularly concerned as it suggests the government has no intention of changing the current inadequate complaints process. We will take some time to go through this response with consideration and then provide our position. https://lnkd.in/g4iQC7vM