Strengthening Knowledge Ideas Links Leadership
SKILL is an individual capacity building project made up of workshops, peer networks and leadership development for people living with disability, their families and supporters. SKILL stands for Strengthening Knowledge, Ideas, Links and Leadership.
Visit the SKILL website www.skill.org.au to find out more about options, possibilities and opportunities to take control and live your best life.
The SKILL project is funded by a grant through the Australian Government Department of Social Services.
Watch the video below to find out more about SKILL.
Check out more videos from JFA Purple Orange.
Who are the Workshops for?
These free workshops are for people living with disability, family members and their supporters. The workshops have been co-designed by people living with disability for people living with disability, and they are also being presented by people with lived experience of disability.
How will SKILL be delivered?
A series of capacity-building workshops will be run across a range of metropolitan Adelaide and regional South Australia. Peer networks and support groups will develop from the workshops, and then leadership development opportunities for emerging Peer Leaders .
The SKILL website also offers people an opportunity to complete workshop topics online at their own pace.
SKILL Peer Networks
Peer networks and support groups have developed from the workshops, and leadership development opportunities for emerging Peer Leaders.
SKILL has Regional Connectors running Peer Networks in 5 regions across South Australia: Mount Gambier, the Barossa, Kadina, Kangaroo Island and Whyalla.
Get in touch with a Connector in your area:
SKILL Regional Lead: Tessa Deak tessad@purpleorange.org.au
Regional SKILL Connectors:
Whyalla:
Rachel Barlow rachelb@purpleorange.org.au
Carrie Kowald carriek@purpleorange.org.au
Copper Coast:
Jane Gersch janegersch@bigpond.com
Barossa:
Alice Hyde aliceh@purpleorange.org.au
Victoria Secomb victorias@purpleorange.org.au
Limestone Coast:
Ruth Mott ruthm@purpleorange.org.au
Barry Rundle barryr@purpleorange.org.au
Kangaroo Island:
Liluella Walsh liluellaw@purpleorange.org.au
Isaac Doman isaacd@purpleorange.org.au
We want to continue the discussions and connections that are made in workshops and continue to share the information, knowledge and experiences that people have. The topics and themes to explore and discuss during workshops are a starting point for local conversations about local issues.
These meetings and catch-ups could be different in each local area, depending on what works and what is the best way to connect. They could be:
- Organised local meetings with guest speakers
- Local informal meetings
- Online in SKILL social media groups or via Zoom or FaceTime or Google chat etc. so we can make and develop connections and share
What are the SKILL workshop topics?
Build your vision
Explores ways to build your own best life, inviting you to take charge, identify and make your own choices and decisions in life. You can connect with other people, access the information you need, and look at things that are important to you.
Make your plan
Looks at ways to set goals and plans to achieve your best life, how to communicate this to the right people. This workshop will give you strategies to identify goals and set your own adventure, and also equip you with skills to navigate systems and develop your self-advocacy skills.
Manage your supports
Explains how to utilise your supports to build your best life, and ensure you get what you need when you need it. We will look at self-direction and how to self-manage under the NDIS system.
Safeguard your success
Looks at the important concepts of safeguards and safety, dignity of risk, strategies for raising concerns and the importance of connections with other people.
Feeling at home
Explores the meaning of home and the various options for bringing a vision of your own home to life.
Connect with your community
Explores the various ways and means of connecting with community and expanding your networks and involvement. It will also look at the benefits of Peer Networks.
Current Workshop Series
New workshops coming soon.
What are the benefits of the SKILL Workshops?
These in-depth workshops will provide you with the ideas, skills, knowledge, connections and support to design and lead the life you choose. Each workshop covers specific topics and areas, and people can register and attend as few or as many as they would like too. To achieve the best outcomes, we recommend people attend all six workshops.
Check out more videos from JFA Purple Orange.
Why should you come to a SKILL workshop?
Our workshop attendees from Nuriootpa share the benefits and learnings that they have gained from the workshop series.
Check out more videos from JFA Purple Orange.
Check out some of the other resources about Peer Support Groups and Networks elsewhere on the Peer Connect site:
Click here to learn more about what peer networks talk about.