Karelle Life Enrichment Service
Reverend the Hon. Dr GORDON MOYES : On behalf of Family First, I speak tonight of an excellent community organisation called Karelle Life Enrichment Service. Located in Mount Druitt, it was founded in 2003 for the purpose of developing the potential in people with an intellectual disability and helping families in crisis. The core business of Karelle is to provide a range of services that will make a difference by focusing on all elements that encompass every person’s life. For instance, because people with an intellectual disability are less likely to complete year 12 studies or to participate in the labour force, they are more likely to rely on a government pension or allowance for income throughout their lives.
It is also a tragic fact that a disproportionately high number of people in our prisons are people with an intellectual disability—who were once cared for in institutions whose doors were closed after the Richmond report. It is about time that we faced the reality that the idealised alternative of living in the community has not worked out as well as all the well-meaning experts envisioned.
Karelle sees its role as stepping in to develop the potential in each individual to the fullest, so that they have more options throughout their lives. Karelle does this by affirming ability and it is deeply committed to valuing all people equally. Karelle seeks to work creatively, innovatively, and cooperatively in all it undertakes and is committed to positive partnerships with Federal, State and local governments, with its clients, families and local community. Karelle’s dedicated and enthusiastic staff provide a high level of specialised service to children and young people with an intellectual disability, by providing ongoing care, giving them opportunities to develop and use their skills and abilities, and by doing so enhancing their lives. Karelle receives no funding from the Commonwealth, but does receive a grant from the New South Wales Department of Health for one of its many projects. Otherwise all of its funding comes from the local community and from many local fundraising efforts conducted by its enthusiastic supporters.
One of Karelle’s outstanding programs fills a real need in the community by providing support to carers of people with a chronic or mental illness, or a disability. Its Carer Support Program is designed to support carers who provide essential daily care to their charges. Interestingly, most of the carers enrolled are from a culturally and linguistically diverse background, and this has added to the barriers that they have had in meeting the challenges facing them as advocates for their young people. Also, the people they are caring for come from diverse backgrounds and have different diagnoses ranging from autism, intellectual disability and mental illness. The group meets on a daily basis to discuss the stresses they face and methods of coping. Such sharing of personal experiences is very helpful, and they learn from each other.
I know from my days as superintendent at Wesley Mission that the right support can make a big difference in the lives of individuals with disability. At Wesley Industries people with disabilities were able to learn how to do productive work in contract cleaning services, horticulture and assembling millions of McDonald’s packs. I have seen many people overcome their weaknesses and problems to become true achievers. It is quite inspiring. I recognise in Karelle Life Enrichment Service the same belief I had in people’s potential. The service sees the possibilities that can be reached with a little bit of self-confidence and building upon a series of small, continuous successes. Another one of its excellent initiatives is the Transition to Work Program, which offers what is called a wraparound service delivery model. Such an approach ensures that support and training are provided in an individualised way that provides each person with a positive set of outcomes.
The customised planning process identifies the strengths of young people and registers their particular vocational needs across multiple settings including home, the training service environment and the community. With this approach, the wraparound process builds on the life experiences of a person with a disability to enhance the possibilities of success. It uses a holistic perspective in understanding every individual’s needs, and is very flexible. There is no pressure to succeed on any other terms but one’s own, and that is very important. It creates the space for growth, but that growth can be achieved on each person’s own timetable. I congratulate Karelle Life Enrichment Service on providing a range of very important services to the community.