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Want to Choose Your Career?
Tuesday, 6th January 2009

“Choose Your Career” is an employment preparation program, funded by the Department of Employment and Industrial Relations' Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative.

Horizon Specialised Training received funding from the Department to provide 40 job seekers with individualised career options in either employment or further education over a six month period if they meet the eligibility criteria (i.e. People with disabilities, Long term unemployed, Youth, Parent/Carer, People from non-English speaking backgrounds, Mature age, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people).

Currently Choose Your Career is half-way through the 12 month contract, so far providing employment services to 20 job seekers since the first enrolment.

Job seekers can gain four nationally recognised accredited modules from Certificate II in Business i.e. I.T, Customer Service, OHS, and Working Effectively as well as their Senior First Aid certificate, Interview Techniques and ways to improving your self esteem to get that job.

The course has a great success rate with 50% of these job seekers having been placed in either employment or further education.

For more details, contact Vanessa Koszyk at Horizon Specialised Training
Ph: (07) 3245 3452 Fax: (07) 3390 3565 Email: training@horizoninc.org

Baby Bridges helps families with kids aged 0-5
Friday, 21st November 2008

Building a bridge to link parents who are caring for a child with a disability, is how coordinator Geraldine McKinnon describes Baby Bridges.

“Baby Bridges is a new program in Brisbane ’s southside for mums and dads who have a bub with a disability,” she said.

“Sometimes new parents who have come home from hospital with a child with a disability, or parents whose toddler has been recently diagnosed with a disability, feel isolated and unsure what services are out there.”

“They may not realise there are other local families going through similar experiences. This program aims to bring those mums and dads together, and build stronger links with service providers.

“This can be a time when parents feel overwhelmed, and so we felt there was a gap there that wasn’t being met. We wanted to be able to offer parents the chance to meet and talk face-to-face with service providers.”

One mum, Sarah Lambert of Manly, came with daughter Holly,2, to Baby Bridges this week with the hope of meeting other families. 

“This is an opportunity to meet other people and build a network in the local area. It’s going to be a big help to find out about services that relate to Holly and our family,” she said.

The program combines respite for the parents, with early intervention-style therapy from professionals in a playgroup setting for the infants and pre-schoolers. It’s delivered as a free six week course, consisting of a three hour session, one day a week.

The response from families since the courses started in August this year, has been very positive, Geraldine said.

“Parents who attended the program say they really benefit from face-to-face contact with other families who are in a similar situation, as well as disability sector professionals.

Lisa Welch of Stretton did the course last month and recommends it to others :

“Baby Bridges was a safe place to talk openly and honestly about our family situation without being judged. The peer support was excellent because the mums were going through similar things.

“We were all pretty talkative by the end of the six weeks and during the course I learnt of services I hadn’t heard of before.

“It was a really good thing. My 2 year old son Jorge enjoyed it and I’m hoping to keep in touch with the people I met,” Lisa said.

“This is an innovative program which we believe is unique to Brisbane ,” said Geraldine McKinnon.

“We developed Baby Bridges to give parents the chance to take a much-needed break from the caring role and use this respite time to network and get information that helps them navigate through the ‘maze’ of disability services, funding providers, early intervention and educational options, and much more.

“I’m astounded how many families don’t know about the more common support services, such as assistance to enable their child to attend daycare or kindy, or funding to help the family with the extra costs associated with caring for a child with a disability.

“It’s hard because there’s really no ‘one stop shop’ to find out all you need to know. The information-sharing that goes on in Baby Bridges is helping parents pull together all these pieces of information,” she said.

Bookings are being taken for course places in 2008 & 2009.

Fast Facts:

• Baby Bridges is a new program coordinated by Clear Horizons, a service of Capalaba-based Horizon Foundation, with funding from FSG Australia and Commonwealth Carer Respite Centre – Brisbane South.
• There is no cost to families.
• Venue is the Anglican Church, Corner of Windamere Road and Newhaven Street ,Alexandra Hills.
• It's being held on Mondays from 9.30 am to 12.30 noon. Currently in summer recess. Families are asked to contact the Coordinator for course dates. Bookings are being taken for 2008 & 2009.
• Bookings with: Geraldine McKinnon, Coordinator, Clear Horizons (a service of Horizon Foundation)
• Phone contact: 3824 8370 / Geraldine’s mobile: 0402 200 118
• Email: gmckinnon@horizoninc.org

Bringing the world into view
Thursday, 23rd October 2008

"Photography doesn't have to rely on tirelessly clicking away to capture the magic moment. Sometimes a good shot takes time to set up. For Billie Ormston, getting that shot isn't the most important part either - photography literally brings focus into her life."

Read the rest of this article about the achievements of a Clear Horizons service user in Connect magazine article (link to Disability Services Queensland website)

United Nations urges: Decent Work for Persons with Disabilities
Friday, 7th December 2007

International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) is an official day declared by the United Nations to celebrate the achievements of people with a disability. It is celebrated annually on 3 December.

This year’s theme, determined by the United Nations, is "Decent Work for Persons with Disabilities.”

Horizon Foundation won an Australia Day Award at the start of 2007. The organisation is a Redlands-based success story where 33 people with disabilities are employed in two business services: Marketforce Mailing and Finishing Service, and Wire and Wood Products.

Horizon President, Albert Benfer, says that Horizon strongly believes in the importance of work for people with disabilities, and is considered a ‘best practice’ leader in this area.

“It’s one of the core principles we were founded on, 25 years ago,” he said.

“The United Nation’s theme for IDPwD 2007 is about the right to ‘decent work’. We advocate that work for people with disabilities should be fulfilling, rewarding, meaningful and paid fairly.”

“Sadly, there are many countries where people with disabilities suffer terrible employment discrimination and a lack of opportunities. In Australia, organisations like Horizon have made much progress in recent years towards the creation of jobs for people with disabilities, and better community awareness that people with disabilities make great employees,” Mr Benfer said.

Manager of Horizon Business Services, Nathan Grima, says that the organisation strives to give employees a fair wage for a fair day’s work.

“We use the Supported Wage System, which is amongst the highest of the payment systems within the disability field. It is totally productivity-based and it results in higher wages for our employees,” he explained.

“We also place a high importance on regular team activities. We have a very active staff social club.  Employees also get rewarded based on highly profitable months - examples in the past have been going out to lunch, and spending a day at Movieworld,” he said.

Nathan says that Horizon has some of the hardest-working staff he’s ever worked with.

“Many employees have made huge achievements. One that stands out is Darren Simpkin, who works at Wire and Wood Products. When he started he’d never held a hammer. Now Darren can make every timber product that we manufacture. He uses complex machinery like a docking saw, and he even personalises jigs to make it easier for other employees to use.”

“Darren’s on-the-job skills and his own confidence has improved out of sight since working here,” Nathan said.

17,500 Australians currently work in supported business services.

Work for People with Disabilities: Facts and Figures

The United Nations states that "in most countries up to 80% of persons with disabilities of working age are unemployed."

In Australia, labour force participation rates in 2005 are estimated as:

- 81.4% for people without any form of disability
- 65% for people with disability, excluding those with profound or severe core limitation        
- 32.7% for people with a profound or severe core activity limitation 

(Sourced from FaCSIA: citing the Report on Government Services 2007)

Target 50: Jobs for Parents is launched
Thursday, 20th September 2007