Kylie has a passion for cooking

Kylie is a friendly 47 year old, who loves being around people. She comes from a big family and has cerebral palsy, epilepsy and sclerosis of the spine. Kylie accesses Northcott’s Life Skills and Individual Supports services from Northcott Taree. Northcott’s Life Skills fosters independence and confidence in customers’ daily routines by giving them the opportunity to learn cooking, public transport, budgeting and more.

A love for cooking

Kylie is a self-professed “amazing cook” and she enjoys cooking for her loved ones and friends. Her favourite things to cook are savoury dishes like noodles, pasta, and stir-fries. Kylie says that Northcott staff rely on her joining in on the cooking activities in the Everyday Life Skills service due to her fabulous skills. While Kylie has a talent for cooking she needs support to make sure she is cooking safely and her goal is to be independent in the kitchen.

Person centred active support

Last year Northcott rolled out a series of training modules for all support workers. These were focused on person centred active support. This is an approach that is fundamental to the provision of effective, person-centred support.  It is a way of providing assistance to people that focuses on making sure individuals are engaged and have the ability to participate in all areas of their life. 

Vicki, Northcott Service Manager in Taree says, “These modules enable staff to gain the skills needed to support people well.” The essential outcome of person centred active support is customer engagement. This means the way it looks in practice will be different depending on the individual requirements and goals of the person being supported, the situation and the skills of the people around them.

Supporting Kylie’s goals

Using this approach Northcott staff have been able to further support Kylie’s cooking talents. The meals Kylie cooks are planned out with her support worker to make sure she is learning recipes she enjoys. Together they are working towards Kylie being independent in the kitchen so she can prepare tasty meals, safely on her own.

What’s next for Kylie?

My next goal is moving out of home and being more independent overall. When I move into my new home with Northcott I want to have my mum and dad visit and host a dinner party for them.

Kylie

Well done Kylie, we look forward to hearing more about your journey to independence soon!

Life Skills Individual Supports Northcott Taree