Issue 61 - Spectrum Care

across thespectrumPeople with an intellectual disability living a great lifeIssue: 61 - Spring 2007Spectrum Care Talent QuestLights, music and dance filled the Freeman’sBay Community Hall at Spectrum Care’ssecond annual Talent Quest at the end of July.There were 14 great performances with theentertainers coming from all parts of SpectrumCare. A large variety of items including singing,ceroc, a rock band, cultural performancesand belly dancing, provided a stream ofconstantly changing entertainment.Prizes were awarded in two categories –Singing and Dancing. John Tekiri was first inthe singing category and Mahui Foto toppedthe dancing one with his cultural performance.Prizes were also awarded to second and thirdplaces. Each winner received a certificate andWestfield gift vouchers.Wayne Anderson was the celebrity guestjudge and delighted the audience by singingthree songs. His performances were highenergy, lots of fun, and were obviously greatlyappreciated by the crowd.Everyone seemed to have a great time andthe environment was friendly, safe and verysupportive.Well done to all our performers and specialcongratulations to our winners in bothcategories. You all did an awesome job.Singing:1st Place - John Tekiri2nd Place - The Band (Thomas Tolley, ThomasCastle, Martin Euston)3rd Place - Dwayne BellDancing:1st Place - Mahui Foto2nd Place - Grace Dyer3rd Place - Joy Richardson and KevinWiddowsteinA special thank you goes to eachof the following people:• Warren Herring, Patrick Brady and WayneAnderson for being such excellent judges• Mike Bernard for being a high-spirited,exciting MC• Photographers Nora Butler andThomas Tolley• Wichmon Tavioni and Chris Higgins forawarding certificates to all the performersin this issue…• Spectrum Care travels(In our own words)• Introducing Helen• International Day of People withDisabilities – 3 December 2007• Leadership Team Update• Asian Services

International Day of People withDisabilities – 3 December 2007This United Nations awareness day is a greatoccasion to celebrate New Zealand’s leadingrole in the international community ofadvocating for people with disabilities. It isalso an opportunity to raise the awarenessabout the need for further integration ofpeople with intellectual disabilities into society.Everyone is welcome to join Spectrum Careon the afternoon of Sunday 2 December atAotea Square, Auckland City.Please contact Roxanne de Bruyn on634 3790 ext 326 for more information.Leadership Team UpdateLast year the sunflower was officiallyincorporated into our branding. It representsthe people with intellectual disabilities thatwe support. The sunflower always followsthe sun; the shadows lay behind them, butto be at their best they need to be supported.This year, Spectrum Care unfurled its petalsand bloomed further, growing stronger, andbecoming taller, building new support.The organisation drew strength from itsOutcomes Program which is pivotal to ourperson-centred value. Organisational supportto help individuals achieve their personalgoals in a structured and measured wayhas received nourishment fromorganisational-wide training in bothOutcomes and in Social Role Valorisation– a program delivered to all staff thatembeds within Spectrum Care the notionthat every individual has intrinsic value andwhich we have renamed “Your Life Matters”.Our Aspirations Program providingdevelopmental activities for our peopleanywhere, anytime, anyplace is fertile groundfor people hungry for new experiences.Like the people we support, Spectrum Careneeds to be supported. We have beenfortunate to partner with some greatorganisations. Together with the Universityof Auckland we have grown a Bachelor ofHuman Services degree with papers inintellectual disability customised fororganisations like ours. Student placementsfrom the University of Auckland and Unitecat graduate and post-graduate levelsevidence our reputation as a place forprofessionals to grow in the sector. Ourproductive partnership with Te RoopuTaurima, which grew from the same seedas Spectrum Care, sees us helping eachother in business continuity situations inhard ground and socially in soft ground.Our service is founded on our staff and sowe are working with the Public ServiceAssociation to find ways to make our owngarden a good place to grow, to keepourselves strong by keeping our good people.Despite all our hard work, sometimes andthankfully rarely, we get buffeted by windsthat damage us. The measure of anyorganization is not the strength of the windor even the damage it does, but the attitudewe display in responding to it. It is in thecalm after these storms that a greatorganization will find opportunities to learnand grow stronger.We have a drive to grow strong. Our thirdseason of leadership courses is due withanother 12 staff gaining the skills that willtake us to that special place in the sector– the place occupied by the tallest andstrongest. We are emerging as a strongentity among others. Presentations at theWorld Quality Congress, the NationalOrganisational Development Conferenceand the Australian Society for the Study ofIntellectual Disability are examples of wherewe have stood tall. Our Certification andAccreditation results - the maximum 3 yearsfor each – and the warm shower ofcomplimentary comments gave strength toour commitment to our values. We providedhelp to other smaller neighbours in disasterplanning, and have contributed actively indeveloping the workforce around us thathas been neglected by others for so long.Our image has changed with a newly rebrandedwebsite still under-developmentand favourable international responses tothe changes remind us that we are on theglobal stage and that is the place wherewe will ultimately be measured. There is stilla long way to grow, but we have done muchof the stretch already and are hungry formore.Brett MarshGeneral Manager OrganisationalDevelopmentBrett MarshKim CaseyChris HigginsWarren Herring

Spectrum Care Travels (in our own words)David Oliva’s HolidayDavid Oliva went on a three day holiday toRotorua, Taupo, Napier and Hastings on 15August 2007. This was an unprecedentedinitiative of Kamata Lelei House and everyonewas extremely excited about David going onthis trip. He thoroughly enjoyed his holidaywhich was full of thrills and excitement. Heenjoyed watching the Huka Falls and goingfor bush track walks. He especially liked thedolphin shows and going to Marine Land towatch an assortment of marine animals suchas fish, sharks, turtles, eels, snakes andlizards. He also had a chance to visit theNapier Aquarium which seemed to be a verystimulating and sensory experience for him.David dined out on all three days at variousfood outlets like McDonalds, Burger King, KFCand Valentines which enhanced his enjoyment.This holiday was not only for pleasure but alsooffered an ideal opportunity for David to getintegrated with community life and experiencethe social interactions which define acommunity. Such trips are an ideal way ofinstilling the essence of normalisation, enablingindividuals to belong to the community ratherthan just being in it.David appeared to really enjoy the trip andit seemed to boost his self esteem. It wasvery successful and the staff are veryenthusiastic about organising more trips likethis in the future. I wish to thank the servicecoordinator and the service manager forendorsing the trip.Jit MaharajCommunity Support WorkerSpecial thanks to Jit Maharaj for supportingDavid during this trip.Duavata Lomani – Tongan Trip:04th August – 15th August 2007Over the past twelve months preparationstook place behind the scenes to providethe opportunity for two of the men residingat Duavata Lomani – 8A Tutere Place,Papatoetoe - to be supported on a holidayin Tonga.Their familes and staff felt that both men wouldmen benefit from the journey to Tonga as JamesAholelei and Vaiola Taliai are of Tongan descent.The transformation that took place duringthis journey of discovery was not onlyenlightening for James and Vaiola but alsofor the staff that supported them on theirjourney home. They thoroughly enjoyed theirholiday and experiences. This was markedby their expressions of delight and laughteras they embarked their tours and discoveredtheir homeland, which is enriched by itsancient culture, sounds and sheer tranquillity.Being home meant being embraced by familiesand by the people of their motherland, beingAnthony and Robert go to RotoruaWe went to Rotorua on 8 July.Robert and Anthony saw the geysers and hotpools. We went to the Agrodome to see thesheep show and all the different types of sheep.adorned by love and acceptance of beinghome. Being home also meant beingimmersed in the true heart of Tonga, beingpart of the people, being part of the communityand sharing the wealth of its love.It was heart warming seeing Vaiola becomingmore alert with his surroundings as we went tofamiliar places, hearing him forming words wherethere was once silence, and seeing his smilelighten up his face. James dancing with family,friends and loved ones was a joy to witness.Of the many sights we visited, we were blownaway by the Mapu ‘a Vaea (The ChiefsWhistle) blow holes as they roared towardsthe sky from ocean floors, taking in themagnificent cliffs of Hufangalupe where talessay the world ends as the ocean crashesbeneath its walls. The Natural Land Bridgeis Mother Nature’s creation and has stoodfor centuries. Paying tribute to the Ha’amonga‘a Maui Trilithon was a momentous experienceas old stories explain its purpose but nothow it got there.Both boys totally enjoyed this experience asyou can see in the photos. It was a greattime had by all!Emma BeynonYoung CottageJames and Vaiola dined and danced atcultural evenings, took in the sun at coastalbeaches and watched the setting sun as itfaded into the horizon. They lapped up royaltreatment on a Boat Trip to PangaimotuIsland and made new friends along the way.It was a privilege to be able to share thisexperience with James and Vaiola. Tears andsongs bid farewell to the “Sons of Tonga” aswe returned to New Zealand.This has truly been a remarkable holiday forJames and Vaiola. It was supported by wonderfulstaff and it was truly meaningful for them.Puna Tekii-SilaWeekend Oncall Service Coordinator

14 Day North and South IslandBus TourKi ora. My name is Nicholas. I live atBrookview Court. My support person Fay andI went on tour.Day 1 – Hamilton/AucklandWe were collected from Brookview by the“Road Cat Shuttle” at 2pm to transfer us tothe Mercure Hotel in Auckland. That eveningwe met our tour director, Nellie and the coachdriver, P.J. Our group consisted of Australians,Italians, English, Irish, South Africans,Brazilians and three Kiwis (our Tour Directorwas Australian).Day 2 – Auckland / Waitomo CavesEnjoyed Waitomo Caves. Wasn’t too keenon the boat ride – it was too dark. Arrivedat Hotel Ilois Rotorua. We enjoyed a hangidinner and entertainment at Matariki.Day 3 – Rotorua SightseeingWe shared the beauty of Te Ruia, theWhakarewarewa Thermal Reserve. In theafternoon we visited the Agrodome.Day 4 – Rotorua/WellingtonWe travelled through extensive pine forestto Taupo and stopped to view the Huka Falls.The weather wasn’t too kind to us as theviews of the three mountains were coveredwith cloud. Enjoyed a picturesque drive intothe capital city of Wellington and stayed atthe Mercure Hotel.Day 5 – WellingtonEnjoyed a sightseeing tour of Wellingtonincluding the Beehive, parliament buildingsand panoramic views from Mt Victoria. Laterwe joined the Inter-Island cruise across CookStrait into Queen Charlotte Sound beforearriving at Picton. We stayed at theBeachcomber Inn in Picton.Day 6 – Picton/ChristchurchWe travelled across the rugged coast andsaw New Zealand fur seals en route. Ourcoach driver stopped so we could purchasefreshly cooked crayfish – yum! We continuedalong the coast to the city of Christchurch,known as the Garden City. We stayed at theElms HotelDay 7 – Christchurch/Mt CookWe drove through the colourful patchworkplains of Canterbury. We visited beautifulLake Tekapo and viewed the Church of theGood Shepard. Passed Mt Cook NationalPark, which is home to NZ’s highestmountain. We stayed at the Heritage Hotelin Omarama.Day 8 – Mt Cook/ DunedinWe followed the course of the Waitaki River,passing the hydro-electric dams at Waitakiand Aviemore. Travelled through Oamaru,famous for its white, limestone buildingsbefore continuing south to Dunedin whichwas founded by Scottish settlers. We arrivedat the Saville International Hotel.That afternoon we boarded the Taieri GorgeRailway train and crossed magnificent stoneand wrought iron viaducts. We travelledthrough a series of tunnels with rock wallsonly inches from the side of the train. It wasan awesome trip!Day 9 – Dunedin/Te AnauThis morning we visted the Cadbury WorldTour. We enjoyed a guided tour through oneof the world’s best known chocolate’s factory.The chocolate waterfall was of specialinterest. We stayed at the Kingsgate.Day 10 – Milford SoundsWe travelled south towards Fiordland throughsome of New Zealand’s magnificent alpinecountry. Drove through the Homer Tunnel,which is one mile long and completely handhewn. We stopped briefly at the chasmbefore arriving in Milford Sound. We cruisedthe serene waters of the Milford Sound withMitre Peak and Bowen Falls high above us.That afternoon we continued to Queenstownand stayed at Aspen.Day 11 – QueenstownWent for a ride on the Gondola then hadlunch. We had the afternoon free andshopped until we dropped!Day 12 – QueenstownVisited Arrowtown, a colourful townshipsteeped in local history. Then we travelledthrough the Kawarau Gorge and climbed overthe Haast Pass. We enjoyed our Haast Riversafari and jet boat ride. It was awesome! Westayed at the Fox Glacier Hotel.Day 13 – Fox GlacierBecause the weather was unsuitable, wewere unable to take a scenic flight over FoxGlacier, Franz Josef and Mt Cook. At Hokitika,Fay purchased a beautiful greenstone. Wecontinued along the coast to Punakaiki tosee the pancake rocks and blowholes beforetravelling to Christchurch.We had the opportunity to join the famousTranzalpine Train at Arthurs Pass and journeyover the Southern Alps and CanterburyPlains to Christchurch. We stayed at theElms Holtel and enjoyed a three coursemeal for our farewell dinner. It was very sadto say goodbye to our new friends.Day 14 – ChristchurchAt different stages during the day we alldeparted to our own destinations. We flewfrom Christchurch at 6:10pm; the last toleave the hotel. We arrived back home inHamilton at 7:50pm. What an experience!Nicholas and Fay

Robyn and Eva go to TaupoOn the 20 September 2006, Robyn Takareiand Ena Tewera from Fair Oaks travelledto Taupo for a holiday. That evening theyboth went to the Wairakei cultural eveningwhich consisted of a Pouwhiri then a tourof the village to see carving, flax weaving,and stick games. Afterwards we all enjoyeda beautiful hangi meal and a concert. Upearly the next morning and travelled to MtRuapehu. Not a very nice day but the ladieshad their photos taken in the snow. Backhome to Pukekohe the next day after acouple of very hectic but fun days.A Trip to Waiheke IslandDanny Mataio and David Tia went to WaihekeIsland on 19 July 2007 and had a picnicon the beach. They caught a ferry from HalfMoon Bay and the boat trip was extremelyexciting. It was a wonderful outing for bothof them.In the past, such trips were just a fantasy,but it is very gratifying to see them becomea reality. One of life’s greatest joys is helpingto realise the dreams of those you love. Itis a privilege for Kamata Lelei staff to beable to provide opportunities for theresidents to become fully fledged membersof the community. Well done!Sanjay KumarHouse LeaderIntroducing HelenMy name is Helen Mulford and I havethe privilege of being the Advocate forSpectrum Care.I am originally from Wellington and currentlyreside in the Howick area with my three,extremely energetic boys and two small,noisy dogs.My previous employment includes runningthree friendship centres for an organisationcalled ‘Communicare’ which runs a total of22 Centres in and around Auckland forthose aged over 65 years. I was responsiblefor the centres situated in Onehunga, StHeliers and Panmure. The centres are aplace in which people from Resthomes, IHChomes and those living alone could cometo interact with others in a stimulatingenvironment. I was with Communicare forfour years and thoroughly enjoyed the workand the people involved.I have also been a Barnardos caregiver, anAge Concern Field Officer (working in theabuse and neglect section) and aSupport Worker for adults with disabilitiesundertaking independent living. I have aqualification in Social and Community Workand I am currently studying towards aBachelor of Arts in Politics. My mostenjoyable work so far has been serving asa volunteer for four years with the Ridingfor the Disabled.The role of Advocate is an extremelyinteresting one and I look forward tofamiliarizing myself with the responsibilitiesit entails. It is a very privileged position asit allows me to be exposed to all aspectsof Spectrum Care’s service delivery. It alsoenables me to meet with, and advocate onbehalf of, the people who access the service.Over the coming months I hope to meetwith every person who has either a director indirect relationship with Spectrum Care.My experience so far has highlighted theprofessionalism of the service and thededication to ensuring Spectrum Care hasits service users’ needs and well beingat heart.Above everything else I will be endeavouringto learn more about the various aspects ofthe organisation. My focus will be listeningto the service users and those closest tothem to ensure the service is doing what itstrives to achieve: Supporting people withan intellectual disability to experience agreat life.Helen Mulford-TylerAdvocateHelen usually works Mondays andWednesdays 9am to 4.30pm and Thursdays9am to 3.30pm. You can contact her on09 634 3790 ext 312 or emailHelen.Mulford-Tyler@spectrumcare.org.nz

Asian ServicesAsian Services at Spectrum Care startedin June 2005 as a new part of the CommunityCultural Services. It is now over two yearssince I took up the role in setting up thenew services.Currently, we support more than twenty peopleand their families and support workers. Theyconsist of Chinese people (from China, HongKong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodiaand Vietnam) and Koreans. About half ofthem live in Spectrum Care homes and therest live with their families.The primary purpose of the Asian Servicesis to provide support services to people ina culturally appropriate way. This is usuallydone in partnership with other teams.The majority of people supported by theAsian Services are referred by our BehaviourSupport Services. The two services are underthe same management team and workclosely in providing behavioural supportprogrammes to Asian people. These includepeople in our Adult Services, and Child Youthand Respite Services.As the Asian Services Advisor, I have alsoprovided support and advice to colleagues inthe Home Support Services, AspirationsServices, Property Management team andthe Communications Advisor on cultural issues.As in other health services, disability servicesare often not used adequately by Asianpeople because of lack of information andfor cultural reasons. Over the past two years,we have promoted our services to Asiancommunities through setting up informationdesks at community meetings, a live interviewat a Chinese radio, and a press interview ofan Asian man whom we support by an Englishnewspaper for Asian people.We liaise with community organisations suchas TANI (The Asian Network Inc.), CNSST(Chinese New Settlers Services Trust), NZCYT(New Zealand Chinese Youth Trust) andAutism New Zealand, Auckland Branch(Chinese Section). Over the last two years,there has been a steady increase in thenumber of Asian users of our service.Within Spectrum Care, awareness of Asiancultures has been promoted in our staffnewsletter. A column on Asian Cultures wasstarted in August 2006, introducingConfucius Sayings, which is a major influencefor many Asian cultures. The column alsocovers Asian teachings that are of Indianorigin. A lot of our colleagues have learnedof the service through reading the Asianculture column.We thank our colleagues who are passionateabout their work and are doing so much forthe Asian people. It has been a pleasureto work with you in exploring new anddifferent ways of supporting our people andtheir families.Ian ChanAsian Services AdvisorIan works part-time on Monday, Tuesdayand Thursday morning. He is based at ourOnehunga office. You can contact him on09 6343790 ext 339Thanks to Moore Gallagher for helping to distribute Across the Spectrum.Free Subscription‘Across the Spectrum’ is aimed at celebrating the achievements of individuals with an intellectual disability as well as promotingawareness and understanding of disability issues. If you would like to receive ‘Across the Spectrum’ regularly, or know of anyonewho you think would benefit from a copy then please let us know. ‘Across the Spectrum’ is mailed out quarterly.Please tick a box and add the relevant detailsYes, I want to receive your newsletter, Acrossthe Spectrum.I already receive Across the Spectrum.Please update my mailing details.I no longer wish to receive Across theSpectrum.NameOrganisationAddressPhoneEmailPlease post or fax to: The Editor, Across the Spectrum, PO Box 91 147, Auckland, fax 09 634 3791