Karin
A social worker’s impact
on disability support
As a Northcott Social Worker, Karin Weston supports customers in overcoming various challenges, ranging from practical help like accessing support services and housing to offering emotional support and advocating on their behalf.
A career in caring
Karin has worked with Northcott as a social worker in Queensland for three years. With 25 years in Human Services, particularly focused in grassroots organisations, she is acutely aware of the barriers faced by vulnerable members of the community. An early experience in aged care where she was frustrated by the lack of time to offer choices or have conversations with aged care residents had a significant impact on her.
“Back then, working in aged care, I was just 18. The number of people that we had to get up and get showered and dressed was huge. There was just no time to offer a choice of what you would like to wear, or to have a conversation,” she says.
Experiences like this in her early working life resonated deeply with Karin, steering her towards social work. Her career has included working with a range of aged care and disability non-profit organisations.
Northcott social workers have a dynamic and unique role. At its heart, their work involves supporting individuals with disability and their families cope with challenges they may experience. They advocate for the rights and needs of people with disability, coordinate various services such as healthcare, housing, and education, and provide emotional support and counselling. Additionally, they assess individual needs, develop personalised care plans, and promote social inclusion and community participation.
Karin discusses a customer with Northcott Physiotherapist, Jack.
Navigating guardianship for Kiana
Reflecting on her role at Northcott, Karin discusses her recent involvement with Kiana, who is 19 years old with cerebral palsy and an intellectual disability. Kiana is non-verbal and has significant difficulty communicating her needs. After turning 18, her mother, Kristina, encountered numerous legal challenges in managing Kiana’s affairs.
“At Northcott, we encourage our therapists to flag if they are working with someone who needs support. Jack, our physio here, said Kiana’s mum had been talking about having difficulties with medical appointments. We also found out that Kiana wasn’t receiving the disability support pension,” Karin explains.
“And because Kiana was 18, her mum Kristina couldn’t open a bank account on her behalf because Kiana didn’t have capacity to consent for mum to be able to do that. So that’s where I got involved.”
Karin explains the next steps.
“I got involved to assist Kristina in navigating the complexities of the system. The first step was to pursue guardianship, as Kristina had no legal guardianship over Kiana despite being her mother. This was crucial because, without guardianship, Kristina couldn’t make legal or financial decisions for Kiana.
“Guardianship is not granted lightly, as it involves taking away a person’s decision-making rights. It is considered a last resort, especially when the individual cannot demonstrate any understanding or consent.
“In Kiana’s case, she was unable to gesture or verbally give consent, making guardianship necessary. The process involved obtaining significant medical reports and completing extensive documentation to present to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT), the body responsible for awarding guardianship,” Karin says.
A positive outcome
The successful acquisition of guardianship and the disability support pension has had a profound impact on Kristina and Kiana’s lives. It has ensured that Kiana now receives the necessary financial support she needs while allowing Kristina to make important medical and life decisions on her behalf.
“My role does involve a lot of hard work, but you have some wins along the way, and you get to see some good outcomes like for Kristina and her family, so that keeps me going.”
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