A new initiative enabling students who are training for careers in community services and disability to support peers with disability has achieved national recognition.
Kangan Institute’s Sustainable Disability Support initiative was awarded the Highly Commended accolade at the Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training’s (ADCET) 2023 Accessibility in Action Awards. The initiative provides students who are studying community services and disability courses with a work placement opportunity within Kangan Institute’s student support unit.
Placement students are selected through an interview process and provided before-the-job training in Child Safety Support, Work, Health and Safety, and the Employee Code of Conduct. They are then paired with learners requiring disability support as they come through TAFE, providing these learners with individualised support to help them thrive in education.
Since its inception, the initiative has created five placement opportunities supporting 15 students with disability, resulting in more than 640 support and placement hours.
Diploma of Community Services (CHC52015) student Sophia Uribe, who completed work placement through the initiative, said it offered her an opportunity to work with students one-on-one as a support worker. Her role also involved supporting student registration and liaising with educators and other staff to case manage individuals in the service.
“I worked with very different people with very different circumstances, so my first thought was to think about their specific needs, goals and wants, as this is what person-based practice in community services is about,” Sophia said.
“It was rewarding to see students opening up to me and to build a rapport with them, in some cases advocating for them and supporting them with their goals. I was also really glad to see one of the students go on to the next step of their academic life.”
The placement has since led Sophia to securing a job as an education support worker at Kangan Institute’s Broadmeadows campus.
“Placement allowed me to put my knowledge into practice and it also gave me the opportunity of employment through Kangan,” Sophia said.
Implemented last year, the initiative was sparked by impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, with Kangan Institute’s student support team leader Priyanka Choudhury and disability liaison officers Faye Sakelariou and Peter Battaglia spearheading the new program.
“The sudden shift to remote learning and social distancing measures presented additional challenges and barriers to accessing support services, and many students with mental health conditions reported feeling isolated or anxious and needing additional support to manage their symptoms,” Priyanka said.
