Community leadership

We have developed free leadership courses and resources for families and community leaders

Training emerging leaders

We identify emerging leaders and support them to grow their leadership potential. We have trained 70 family leaders. Long term follow up on their activities and outcomes shows that they grow their voice, share their disability expertise and found family-led organisations, lead transformative projects and build community. Our article describes the “transformational Collective Benefit Mindset”, an experience that prompted parents raising children with disability to launch and sustain a peer network (Janson et al, 2018). This parent group (Families Empowering Families) was created following the launch of our Now and Next training. This group is still active in creating new learning, sharing opportunities for families and providing direct input into the services they receive.

Vulnerability can happen in many different contexts - disability is one of them. Parents of disabled children face a series of challenges that compound. Families have told us that as a result of the confidentiality that binds professionals in the field, they are often unaware that many others are facing similar issues. This results in added stress and isolation. In 2013 some of us ran a family leadership development programme to explore the ways in which family voices could be shared and heard.

'Circles of support' or 'intentional networks' 

These are proven tools to help families achieve better results for their differently-able member. Bridget describes below her family's experience in helping her son strive for a good life:

A professional in the disability field and the mother of a young man whom she helped successfully plan and live the life he wants for himself, Bridget explains how the initial family vision was implemented via a circle of support first consisting of adults and support professionals. As her son grew up, however, the process was handed over to her son who now leads his own circle of support.

What was important to Alex was that his circle of support would be made up from his age group - and this indeed helps integrating him amongst his peers. The meaning of parenthood changes as our children mature of course, but Bridget emphasises that it is now that you need to ask yourself "Is life good enough for my son/daughter"? because as governments change policies and implementation of even the best ideas take time, there are a host of things that can be done without waiting to enhance our quality of life at all levels. She remarks "we must not feel hostages to government plans" - we can act right now!

Leading social change: Successful 2017 training completed 

Course Description

This course provided:

• Historical milestones of the disability sector 
• Knowledge about person-centered planning tools 
• Practical tools to develop potential in people with high and complex needs 
• Implementation of ideas for daily lives 
• Leadership building blocks to step into this space 

How do families create social change? This course documented a New Zealand initiative where three families with disabled children have joined efforts to launch a new initiative addressing the difficulty to find great staff to support people with high and complex needs. To bypass the difficulties created by a traditional hiring and training process, the families came together for 5 consecutive weekends to meet with a pool of potential candidates. Families engaged directly with youth in this collaborative training and developed activities and knowledge needed to decide about their future direction - and meet potential future employers. 

Developing leadership to address community issues and marginalisation of disabled people. 

Learning Objectives

• Understand the wider context of the disability sector in New Zealand
• Inspire disabled people and their families to plan for a great life
• Work alongside families who lead social change
• Lead practical changes through daily support with these families

Curriculum Sample

Community conference

The Stronger Together conference (strongertogether.nz) embodied unity with the theme “stronger together.” The development of this event was driven by disabled leaders and young people passionate about fostering connections in the community across many demographics. Our aim in this conference was to cultivate leadership skills, boost confidence, encourage collaboration, and develop new and long standing partnerships, mentoring, and to support new initiatives. 

‘Alone we get so far, together we get so much further’.

The future is bright, but it’s even brighter when it’s built with collaboration, connection and community. 

Disabled persons, family, whanau, and allies. How do we come together strategically, and in partnership to think outside of the box? To work together for the greater good of our community. 

“Nau te rourou, naku te rourou, ka ora te manuhiri.” – This means with your food basket and my food basket, the people will thrive. Check out our Facebook page!

Getting the future you want Workshop, Te Puke August 2013 - recording

What an AMAZING workshop that was!!!

What is your gift, what is your purpose, where might this gift be needed in the community around you?

Two short interview clips are presented in this playlist and the third clip is Tanya's story: 

Tanya describes how she found her life purpose in the past year, but now she is unclear of how to go forward. So she explains to the group that she wants to help others in the same journey that she has just travelled - find their purpose, reconnect with their inner being. What is Tanya to do next?

Lynda asks the group to name a few gifts that they heard through Tanya's story: "Relationships" and "caring about one another" came up right away. 

The group brainstorms where this gift would be welcome and a participants springs almost as a reflex "at my house!"... Other  participants proceed to invite Tanya to come and stay with their communities. Another person adds: I would like to invite me to my whanau too. My niece has gone into her shell because she lost her sight to diabetes, she lost her Maoritanga and desperately needs to talk to you. When Tanya breaks into tears, a participant comments: "crying is good in Maori culture - it's OK!"

Tanya says "I desperately need to feel useful".

Other workshop members expand the conversation and comment that Tanya would be a valued speaker and a leader for others. Tanya adds: "I desperately need to know that there would be a specific direction for me to work towards - I want to find my niche"

In just 5 or 6 minutes, talking about the deep moments in her life Tanya connected to others who identified that there is a need for these talents in their parts of the world... 

Lynda comments that we are all makers of meaning and when we find meaning this gives us an direction to go forward as well as impetus and energy for the journey. The audience just reinforced Tanya's talent as a Circle member, Consultant and Storyteller.

ACTING ON THE UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR PURPOSE: This would be where a directory of contacts (from workshop participants) would be useful because people could contact each other on the basis of what they heard from each other during the time spent together. Workshop participants who already thought about their purpose could now invite others into their Circles of Support and get direct input from people whose thinking they liked.

Two workshop participants comment on the impact that the workshop will have on themselves and their work.

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