Community participation support in Coffs Harbour

Community participation support helps a person with disability take part in social, recreational and community life in Coffs Harbour. It should be shaped around your interests, goals and disability related needs.

For one person that means joining a regular group. For another it means learning to catch a bus, getting to an appointment, going to a market, or building the confidence to visit a café on their own.

What it can look like

• Visiting friends or family
• Joining a sporting, creative or interest group
• Going to a café, library, market, park or community event
• Volunteering or gaining community based experience
• Attending a class or learning a new hobby
• Shopping and completing community errands
• Practising public transport or travel routes
• Building confidence in new social settings

What a support worker does

Their role depends on what assistance you need because of disability — planning, transport, communication, personal care, mobility support, emotional regulation, prompting, or help understanding what is happening.

Support can also focus on independence. A worker may start with close assistance and gradually reduce prompts as you become more familiar with an activity or place.

Choosing activities that mean something

Community participation should not be based on what is convenient for the provider. The activity should connect with your own interests and goals.

• Identify what you enjoy, or want to try
• Discuss barriers — transport, communication, sensory needs, mobility, confidence
• Check accessibility, cost, timing and support requirements
• Agree the worker’s role before attending
• Review afterwards: did you enjoy it, and did it move you toward your goals?

Locally

Coffs Harbour has community spaces, recreation, sport, learning, volunteering and social activities. What suits you depends on your interests, accessibility requirements and what is running at the time — so it is worth checking rather than assuming.