Innovative Projects Archives - Northcott Annual Report 2023-24

Supporting relationships and intimacy for all

By teamInnovative Projects

Feel the Vibe 2023 in the Illawarra, NSW.

Supporting relationships
and intimacy for all

Northcott believes that people with disability have the right to achieve their goals, whatever they may be. We are committed to supporting them do this, including goals focused on achieving sexual fulfilment.

“Up to 50% of people with a physical disability don’t take part in mainstream sex education in school.”
– Amanda Damian, Northcott’s Clinical Lead Counsellor

A decade after Northcott’s first Feel the Vibe expo, the popular sexuality and disability event made its way to the Illawarra in 2023.

A brief history

Access to education and resources about sex and relationships is a significant barrier for many people with disability, often limiting their opportunity to enjoy fulfilling and healthy intimacy.

“Up to 50% of people with a physical disability don’t take part in mainstream sex education in school,” explains Amanda Damian, Northcott’s Clinical Lead Counsellor, from our Sexuality and Relationship Education service.

“This lack of access is just the beginning of the inequities faced by people with disability when it comes to learning about sexuality and healthy relationships.”
To address these gaps, Northcott created Feel the Vibe to provide crucial information and a safe space for open discussions on issues around sexuality and relationships.

The first Feel the Vibe expo was held in 2014 to give our customers and other people with disability greater choices and opportunities to learn about and explore their sexuality and relationships. The expo lifted the taboo on disability and sexuality, fostering open dialogue on a wide range of topics. It also focused holistically on the needs of people with disability.

In that year, Feel the Vibe won two awards in the Disability Innovation Awards, and was named a finalist in the National Disability Awards.

With Northcott customers continuing to call for more support in this area, Northcott has continued to deliver Feel the Vibe regularly, adapting to challenges such as COVID-19 restrictions.

Feel the Vibe had stalls where attendees could find out more or speak to experts.

Feel the Vibe returns

In November 2023, Feel the Vibe returned as an in-person event, bigger than ever. Held in Kembla Grange, the expo attracted over 200 attendees, including people with disability, support workers and health professionals. The event featured adult product stalls, speakers, interactive displays and entertainment.

For attendee and Northcott customer Ben, who travelled from Coffs Harbour with his support worker, the event was the chance to learn some new skills to support him to achieve his relationship goals.

“I’ve come to Feel the Vibe because I really want a boyfriend and to learn how to be in a relationship. At one of the stalls, someone showed me how to put a condom on a banana. I’ve never had anyone show me how to use a condom before,” Ben shared during the expo.

In addition to providing useful information for people with disability, Feel the Vibe is also valuable for professionals working in the disability sector. Service coordinators and support workers from some of Northcott’s houses went along to gain a better understanding of how they can support their customers in this space, including how to connect them with vetted disability-friendly sex workers.

“We have customers who have been asking some spicy questions that we haven’t known how to answer appropriately. We’ve come to get answers for them and to find out more about training so that we can learn how to offer better support in this area,” said Amanda Dunshea, Northcott Housing Service Coordinator.

A support worker from Northcott’s Merrylands accommodation said, “Mark* has a real interest in this kind of stuff, so we connect him and other residents who are interested with sex workers monthly. It’s just a part of Mark’s routine.”

In 2024, Feel the Vibe will be held in Coffs Harbour, and for the first time ever, attendees are invited to an official after-party!

*Northcott customer – name changed to protect confidentiality

25 October 2024

Building capacity and inclusion in Woodenbong

By teamInnovative Projects

Dylan Wilson, First Nations Early Childhood Coordinator

Building capacity and
inclusion in Woodenbong

Woodenbong, New South Wales

In the regional town of Woodenbong and nearby Muli Muli Aboriginal community, a cultural inclusion project led by Northcott’s Early Childhood Community Capacity Building team is helping families get the support and services they desperately need.

Woodenbong is in the far north of New South Wales near the Queensland border and 150km from the coast. Approximately half its population of 390 people identify as Aboriginal and there are around 60 children in the 0-14 years age group. Isolation, health issues and lack of transportation are some of challenging factors for people who live in the area.

Following COVID, essential services in the community ceased, with staff at Woodenbong Central School and Preschool struggling to support families in need of therapists, health services, NDIS funding and more.

Saira-Jane Booler, Northcott’s Early Childhood Community Capability Building Facilitator

Northcott’s Early Childhood Community Capability Building Facilitator, Saira-Jane Booler began working with the Woodenbong community in early 2023.

“While services have been intermittent for the past 20 years, issues escalated after COVID. Prior to this, regular therapists were visiting, an Aboriginal Health Corporation was running out of Muli Muli and the preschool had funding for an occasional speech therapist. But all this disappeared after COVID,” Saira explains.

After attending several Service NSW meetings in Muli Muli to try to meet families and other services, Saira realised she needed to connect directly in Woodenbong to be effective.

“I decided to approach the Woodenbong Central School and Preschool. It took three emails and an invitation for the principal and director to join both Dylan Wilson, our First Nations Early Childhood Coordinator, and I for lunch before they would engage, but it worked,” she says.

Dylan and Saira travelled to Woodenbong together for a meeting, kicking off a year-long collaboration to overcome barriers and build the capacity of the school and preschool to know where to go for support in the future.

Positive outcomes

The first and most significant achievement was establishing a fortnightly online networking meeting with the school, preschool, First Peoples Disability Advocate, Social Futures, Dylan and Saira. Very quickly these meetings grew, with more stakeholders attending and valuable connections made. The catch-ups fostered open communication, problem-solving and, importantly, the re-establishment of services in the community. From these meetings, many positive outcomes have been achieved, some of which are detailed below.

Introducing Dylan to Woodenbong Central School was hugely valuable. In his role as First Nations Early Childhood Coordinator, Dylan has been able to connect with Aboriginal families in a culturally sensitive way, supporting many to begin accessing services or applying for NDIS funding.

Saira also successfully lobbied the Northern NSW Local Health District and Member for Lismore, Then Hon. Janelle Saffin MP to have a mobile dental van visit Woodenbong Central School to conduct free dental checks and minor work. The mobile unit, which had previously bypassed the town, spent time at Woodenbong in June/July 2024.

Another important connection was to link Woodenbong Central School and preschool with Brighter Beginnings, a NSW Health program providing health and development checks for 4-year-olds. With no preschool screening previously available, making this program available in Woodenbong is a win for local families and early educators.

The coming year

While several services have been re-established in Woodenbong, Saira’s networking meeting will continue in FY2025 to further strength connections and support Woodenbong Central School and Preschool. Additionally, Dylan will continue to support First Nations families to access services and the NDIS. The cultural inclusion project has not only revitalised services in Woodenbong, but also empowered the community and local providers to better support families and children.

25 October 2024