Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Expanding Worlds Podcast

In this episode, host Debra Caldow talks to Ellie Hedley Dent, the Employer Partnership Manager at Team Domenica, about their employment program. Ellie explains their initial focus is on building foundational skills and providing work experience to prepare their candidates to move into a Supported Internship. Using an holistic approach, Team Domenica equips young people with the tools they need to succeed in their careers and beyond.

https://teamdomenica.com/

In this episode, host Debra Caldow talks about the importance of helping our young people to develop the abilities and the skills they need in life. She emphasizes they must also develop those attitudes that make their success in whatever they choose to do much more likely. She also talks about how the type and level of support we give to our children will evolve as we give them the space they need to live their own lives.

In this episode, host Debra Caldow reflects on the challenges faced when supporting young people with additional needs to transition from school to the next stages of life. She discusses two key lessons she learned during the process: the need to plan far ahead beyond the immediate steps and staying open to various options by continuously researching.

In this episode with parent Kay Laidler, Debra Caldow discusses how Kay is working with other families to create a housing solution for their young people. She discusses the ongoing process, why natural friendships between housemates are important, and the challenges they are facing in terms of finding the right funding and support. Kay also talks about the importance of planning and persistence in pursuing their housing objectives.  

In this episode, I’m talking to Kay about her family's journey as she supports her son to move out of home and live his life.  We talk about the challenges including the feelings of isolation and the impact that the judgments of others can have.  But we also talk about the importance of community and how it sustains us in difficult times. We discuss how the focus changes as our children become young adults when issues like employability and housing become the focus of the future.

Knowledge is built on the sharing of ideas. That’s certainly something I believe in strongly, and in this week’s episode, I talk about why I share ideas from wherever in the world I find them. By listening to others we can quickly identify what’s worked, and what hasn’t, and ensure we don’t make the same mistakes. By doing that we can accelerate progress in so many areas like employment, housing, and inclusive communities.

https://www.youtube.com/@RedGiraffeSolutions

In this second part of a conversation with Will Hoermann from Marbridge, we explore the evolving expectations that drive what an organization like Marbridge does and how that looks different for each person they support. Will also shares his insights on the importance of planning from both a financial and emotional perspective and provides some useful tips drawn from his experiences working with families.

https://www.marbridge.org/

The housing options available have changed as people’s expectations have changed. A good example of this is Marbridge, and in this episode, Will Hoermann, Director of Admissions for Marbridge, explains how Marbridge started as a working ranch over 70 years ago and has now grown into a community that supports multiple levels of assisted living. Will discusses the admissions process and the opportunities provided by having links with the local community. He also discusses the importance of researching all the options early so that the transition into somewhere like Marbridge is made easier. 

https://www.marbridge.org/

In this episode, I’m talking about the importance of giving young people with additional needs more choices to foster independence. We already know about the lack of choice in areas like employment, housing, and care, and the impact that has. But often there are missed opportunities around choice and I’m sharing my personal experiences on how to encourage choice-making at home, and why it is part of the gradual process of letting go  and allowing our young people to learn from the choices they make so that they develop the skills they will need in the future.

Independent Cooking Made Easy Course 

Free Recipe and Introduction to our method 

In this episode which is the second part of my conversation with Rosie Barnes from Satsuma Neighbour, we talk more about the vision of how the project will look and why projects like this are so important in enabling independent living with the right kind of support available when it is needed. We also talk about the role that housing plays in reducing segregation, promoting connection, and reducing isolation.

https://www.satsumaneighbour.org/

In this episode, my guest Rosie Barnes shares her journey as a parent, from writing a book 'Understanding Stanley, Looking Through Autism' to helping her son find a housing solution that’s right for him. Rosie discusses the challenges faced by families looking for inclusive housing options in their communities. She talks about the radical concepts behind 'Satsuma Neighbour', a project she started which will create an urban community that fosters inclusivity and neighbourliness.

https://www.satsumaneighbour.org/

In this episode, I’m talking about our approach to supporting our daughter to learn to cook for herself without the need for any support or supervision.  Our solution involved discarding conventional cooking techniques that didn't work and looking for new options. In our case, it’s meant using an air fryer a slow cooker, and five-ingredient recipes. By adapting recipes for the food she wanted to make, this approach has enabled her to cook independently. 

To find out more about the course we have developed based on our experiences visit https://bit.ly/independentcooking

In this second part of my conversation with Julia Wright from Ken’s Krew, we discuss the importance of work experience in transition programs and the improvements that have taken place in these programs which are enabling more young people to be work-ready. She also offers advice to families about how to plan ahead and why planning is so important because it makes that move from education to employment much more likely to happen.  

https://kenskrew.org/

https://www.facebook.com/kenskrewjobs/

In this episode, we learn about Ken's Crew, an organization co-founded by parents through a partnership with Home Depot. Julia Wright from Ken’s Krew shares how they facilitate meaningful employment for young adults with additional needs through partnerships with a variety of organizations providing intensive training and ongoing support. Julia also discusses some of the challenges faced, such as communication skills and parental concerns, and the importance of sensitivity training for colleagues.  

https://kenskrew.org/

https://www.facebook.com/kenskrewjobs/

In this second part of a conversation with Mel Simmonds, from Hidden Gem Services, we focus on what we can do at home to help make the transition into paid work smoother for our young people. When they go into their first job, they will have lots of new information to take in and skills to learn. However, the transition will be made easier if we have already helped them build transferable skills they can use at work. Mel provides some practical examples of how to do this as well as explaining the role we can play in developing their confidence by discussing their daily work experiences and encouraging independent decision-making. She also touches on the potential pitfalls of parents acting as job coaches.

https://www.hiddengemservices.co.uk/

In this episode with Mel Simmonds from Hidden Gem Services, we dive into the world of job coaching, outlining the importance of support, understanding, and adaptability in creating successful employment options for young people with additional needs. Mel discusses the challenges faced, including inconsistencies in job roles and management as well as the positives that come from the cultural shifts that can occur within organizations.

https://www.hiddengemservices.co.uk/

In this episode, I share my journey of navigating parental fears and learning to trust my daughter's abilities. Despite her successful year in her job, my unspoken concerns about her future surfaced, impacting her more than I realized. This episode reflects on how difficult it is not to let our fears limit our children’s potential. I also talk about the importance of giving my daughter the dignity of risk, respecting her independence, and planning for a future where she can thrive, even when I’m not around.

Every journey starts somewhere, and for most of us, it starts at home with those closest to us, encouraging us, and believing in us. In this week’s episode with Laura Davis from BASE we discuss the important role families play in shaping the future outcomes of children. We discuss the challenges of navigating the support available and the role of school in better preparing young people for work. We also talk about the enormous impact that specialized job coaches can have and how employment enhances life expectancy.

https://www.base-uk.org

Collaboration can speed up change, but it requires coordination and management to make that happen. This week’s guest Laura Davis, Chief Executive of the British Association for Supported Employment (BASE) knows all about this. In this episode, she not only shares her personal journey but also discusses the pivotal role BASE plays in championing employment opportunities for everyone. She also talks about the role of BASE in developing best practice standards around supported employment to enable their members to better serve the people they work with. Laura also discusses the need for a systemic change, driven by collaboration between employers, government, and supported employment services to create meaningful employment opportunities and foster inclusive workplaces.

https://www.base-uk.org/home

Having more opportunities for paid work for young people with additional needs relies on finding more employers to offer those opportunities. In this episode Andrea Randall-Smith from Little Gate explains the strategies they use to manage the relationships with the employers they work with to ensure more of these opportunities become available.  She discusses the value of storytelling and working with other local organisations so that the focus is on what employers need as well as what their future employees need and how the support they provide to employers can help them transform their employment practices.

https://www.littlegate.org.uk/

When opportunities aren’t available, sometimes we need to create them. That is part of the reason that Little Gate came about. In this episode Andrea Randall-Smith, CEO of Little Gate, shares the history and ethos of the organization and how they work to change the future of the young people they serve by giving them to skills to move into paid work. We also discuss the importance of getting feedback, sharing best practice, and working with other organizations to maximize the opportunities for everyone.

https://www.littlegate.org.uk/

In this episode, I’m talking about the importance of structured planning for children with additional needs and having short, medium and long-term plans for various aspects of their life around daily living, purpose, relationships, and finance. This ensures not only continuous progress but is also better preparation for their futures. A good plan has clear targets actionable steps, and a realistic timeline. I talk about each of these and how to use the Red Giraffe Route map and the VOCAL method (Vision, Options, Create, Assess, Legacy) to put together a plan that not only supports their future but give you piece of mind as well. I also share personal examples to illustrate how we have supported our daughter to plan her future and develop her own life plan.

Find our more about the Red Giraffe Route Map & VOCAL Method 

We all want good neighbors but of course what makes a good neighbor differs for everyone. In this second part of a conversation with Ann Wilkinson from WeBUILT we talk about how they have built a neighborhood where people look out for each other when they need to. Ann explains how the focus on choice, predictability and autonomy has helped to reduce challenging behaviors. She also discusses how the WEBUILT community fosters empathy and support among members which in turn transforms lives and, in many cases, helps rebuild family relationships. Plus, we also discuss how other families can build their own communities using the WeBUILT model for ideas and inspiration. 

https://www.webuilt.info/

When we live in a place that we like everything else is made just that bit easier. But sometimes finding that place can seem an impossible task. In this episode I’m sharing one family’s journey to find that place for their son. My guest is Ann Wilkinson from WeBUILT who shares her story from exploring various options and realizing these didn't fit his needs to creating WeBUILT. She shares how they built a collaborative community where people have ownership and control over their living arrangements. WeBUILT stands for We Build Unique Independent Lives Together which is exactly what they have done.

https://www.webuilt.info/

 Self-employment is viable option, but it becomes even more so when there is clear evidence of how well it can work. In this episode Sam Everard, founder and CEO of Samee Charity shares some examples of where young people with additional needs have created great businesses based not only on their skills but also on their passions and often, because of their lived experience, an understanding of what others need. Sam also talks the benefits of self-employment in offering flexibility and control, which is not always possible with traditional employment roles.

https://samee.co.uk/

One way into paid employment is to work for yourself and that’s the focus of this episode with Sam Everard, founder and CEO of Samee Charity. She discusses the organization's mission to support young people with additional needs into becoming self-employed. Sam also discusses the barriers, how to address these, and what supporting someone into self-employment involves. 

 https://samee.co.uk/

In this solo episode, I discuss what independence really means for young people like my daughter. Is it just about having the skills to do more for herself or are there other things that she should have the opportunities to consider? I discuss this using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory as a way to structure my thoughts on whether or not it's enough to just focus on those daily living skills and relationships for our young people or whether there are more things to consider when it comes to supporting our young people to be truly independent in the way that they choose to live their lives.

Learning new things, having new experiences and giving back to our community build self-confidence and self-esteem. However, to often people with additional needs aren’t given the opportunity to do any of these things. In this second part of my conversation with Lex Ali, from Big Life Adventure, we talk about the value in lifelong learning and the idea that everyone should have the opportunity to give back to their communities and to society. We talk about how the Big Life Adventure project will help support this continuous learning and enable people to connect with others.

https://peak15support.co.uk/bl-adventure

 For most people one of the great things about becoming an adult is getting to make their own life choices, dreaming about what they want to do, and making decisions about how their life will look now and in the future. But for many people with additional needs these opportunities aren’t easily available. In this episode my guest Lex Ali from Big Life Adventure talks about why this is happening and what can be done about. The Big Life Adventure project she discusses is definitely part of the answer. 

https://peak15support.co.uk/bl-adventure

Breaking down the barriers to inclusive employment opportunities is proving to be a challenge. But progress is being made and what that looks like is one of the things I’m discussing in this week’s episode with my guest Vinny De Falco from Think Forward. We talk about the programs that Think Forward have previously run, what they learned from those and how that information has guided their next program. We also discuss how to engage with employers and the external factors that also impact on the number of opportunities available. To bring about change means acting, learning along the way and changing what does not work and that is exactly what Think Forward is doing.

https://thinkforward.org.uk/

The transition from education to employment for young people with additional needs requires planning in order to be effective. In this episode with Vinny De Falco from Think Forward we talk about the importance of early transition planning and how a structured and supportive transition program with personalized coaching can help young people develop the skills and confidence they need. We also talk about the need for collaboration and knowledge sharing among everyone, including families, involved in supporting the young person.

https://thinkforward.org.uk/

It's a solo episode this week and I'm talking about the role that expectations have in the way we support and inspire our young people to achieve all they are capable of. Our expectations of them guide their expectations of themselves and can also help them to ignore the low expectations of others. 

The use of technology is embedded into our work lives and for people with additional needs it is often assistive technology that enables them to do their job. But often the right technology is not in place or provided by employers and that is one of the topics discussed in this episode of the podcast with my guest in this week’s episode Alex Barker from AbilityNet. Alex discusses why it is as much about mindset as it is about the technology itself when it comes to making sure that the right technology is provided for employees to do their jobs most effectively.

https://abilitynet.org.uk/

When we think of assistive technology or any technology that can support our young people with additional needs to become more independent, we often start at the point of thinking it could be expensive or complicated to learn to use. But the reality is that today the first bit of assistive technology that our young people should access is their phone or tablet. The built-in features of these devices have changed the way we think about assistive technology as my guest in this week’s episode Alex Barker from AbilityNet explains. Alex brings, his lived experience, and how he uses assistive technology, both in his role at AbilityNet and in his life to discuss why we need to make better use of what is easily accessible to all of us.

https://abilitynet.org.uk/

When we think of community, we first think about the friendship element of being around other people. But there is more to being part of a community than just that. When we become part of a community, we have the opportunity to learn from those around us.  These are the other benefits of being in a community. And why this is such an important part of community is the focus of the second part of my conversation with Sarah Towler from CASPA. We all know community is important but it's not just about the people, it's what we learn from being around those people. 

https://caspabromley.org.uk/

Community is defined as people with common interests living in a particular area but in reality, it’s less about location and more about belonging, about connection and feeling part of something. In this episode, my guest is Sarah Towler and the organization we are talking about is CASPA which does all of these things and more. CASPA stands for Community Autistic Support Pride and Advocacy, and it provides a variety of support services to autistic/neurodivergent children and adults and their families. In our conversation, we talked about why community is so important and the ways CASPA supports its community. Having people to support us through the good and bad times will always be important and part of what makes us all human. 

https://caspabromley.org.uk/

Every day we all do the same things the same way because it’s these habits that make it easier to live our lives. Habits are just skills we have that we use over and over again and for my daughter with additional needs, all the skills she has built over time are now habits that allow her to live more independently. Those skills she has like cooking going to her job or managing her money, the things she does the same way each time are all her habits.  In this episode, I’m talking about some of the ideas around habits, the habit loop cue, routine, and reward, habit stacking, and the role motivation and ability play in developing habits.

Check Out The Red Giraffe Solutions Cooking Videos

The barriers to employment for young people with additional needs are high but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible as this week’s episode shows. In part 2 of my conversation with Adam and Deb, Adam talks about his experience of work and why his current role is working for him. Adam believes it comes down to the right support at the right time and matching the individual to the job.  

Sharing our stories helps us realize we are not alone. Hearing someone else’s story can also be a great way to learn new ideas we can use in our own family’s lives. In this episode, I’m sharing the story of Adam and his family. My guests are Adam, and his mother Deb. Adam talks about moving schools from a mainstream school to a specialist school as well as the challenges he found around transitioning out of full-time education.

We should all have the right to choose how we live our lives, even if that means taking risks and making mistakes. But too often people with additional needs aren’t being given opportunities to take risks and to learn from their mistakes. My guest this week Carol Smail shares her experiences of the impact this lack of choice has, as well as what can happen when people are given the opportunity to make their own choices. Too often the focus is on reducing risk, but that only reduces choice and doesn’t necessarily make anyone safer. 

Open Future Learning Video

Finding friends with common interests can be difficult for anyone and for young people with additional needs it is often more challenging because their social network is smaller. That is why projects like Gig Buddies are so important as my guest in this episode Carol Smail from Gig Buddies Sydney explains. Carol not only talks about the vision behind Gig Buddies but the role it plays in breaking down stereotypes about people with additional needs.

Gig Buddies Sydney

Find Your nearest Gig Buddies

Start Your Own Gig Buddies

Find out about the history of Gig Buddies - Episode 68 Stay Up Late

Too often low expectations for people with additional needs have translated into fewer opportunities, particularly when it comes to paid employment. For change to happen, around work, more employers are needed which means employers will need to change their attitude toward employing people with a disability. But what is also necessary is a change in society’s perceptions of what a person with additional needs is capable of.  In this episode with Peter Bacon CEO of Disability Employment Australia, we discuss where these perceptions come from and whether a more integrated education system might be part of the answer.

Find out more about Disability Employment Australia

Inclusive employers change the future for our children, but there simply isn’t enough of them. In this episode with Peter Bacon, CEO of Disability Employment Australia, I’m discussing why this is the case, and what actions could be taken to get more employers to become inclusive employers.

Is some form of legal framework necessary, as Peter suggests, and are most employers willing but unclear on how to take the next steps? We all know the benefits of inclusive employment; the challenge is making employers understand the benefits easily outweigh the risks.  

Find out more about Disability Employment Australia

In this final episode of this Finance Future series, I’m talking to Graham Caldow about the value of giving financial independence gradually and building financial skills over time. We discuss the things that have worked for our family including multiple accounts and tracking spending. Finance is just one part of our legacy to our daughter but in lots of ways it’s the foundation of all the other things she will do in her life. 

Graham's Book: What's Possible - Plan A Better Future For Your Young Adult With Additional Needs

Planning for the future is difficult when restrictions exist around how much money you're allowed to save. In this episode with Jill Cornfield, I’m discussing how ABLE accounts can help mitigate this restriction and enable people to think longer-term and plan their financial future.  

ABLE National Resource Centre

Follow us on Instagram/Facebook @expandingworlds

Managing our own money is challenging. The temptation to spend is never far away and we need tools and techniques that can help us make the right choices most of the time. In this second part of my conversation with Karen Hassett from PATF we are focusing on some ways to help our young people develop those money habits that will help them make better spending decisions. However much money we have, we still need to develop good money management skills, so we always get the most value from what we have to spend.  

Find all the PATF Guides  here https://patf.us/what-we-do/financial-education/

Money Talks Webinar Series https://patf.us/money-talks/webinars/

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network - ASAN - search this site for useful financial-related resources as well as information on a variety of other topics. 

Follow us on Instagram/Facebook @expandingworlds

Getting started on developing any plan can be a challenge but when it comes to our finances we can often get stuck at the first step. In this episode with Karen Hassett from PATF we talk about how to get started by thinking about a decision-making process when it comes to money and using simple ideas like tracking spending and identifying priorities to move forward. But we also talk about the need to give ourselves grace and understanding about decisions we might have made in the past because what really matters is what happens next not what happened then.  

Find all the PATF Guides  here https://patf.us/what-we-do/financial-education/

Other Great Resources https://patf.us/resource-category/credit-finance/

Money Talks Webinar Series https://patf.us/money-talks/webinars/

https://www.studymoney.us/

Follow us on Instagram/Facebook @expandingworlds

The financial future for young people with additional needs can be challenging. They are more likely to have lower incomes, less likely to be employed full time and government assistance can be difficult to get and even more difficult to keep. So planning ahead to create a solid financial platform is essential in this new series - Financial Future I’ll be exploring the challenges, what solutions are out there, and how to plan ahead so that future financial security is achievable. In this episode, I’m starting by talking about some of the questions to consider like who should control what and when. Money is a topic many of us try to ignore but so much of our children’s future depends on us making sure we have plans in place around it. 

In this episode I’m looking back over this latest series which has focused on the role that technology plays and will play in the lives of young people with additional needs. I’ll be discussing what assistive technology really means today and talk from my own experience about how technology supports my own daughter to live the life she wants. I’ll also explore what the future holds and how technology will increasingly enable our young people to live more independently and will enhance the opportunities available to them.

Follow us on Instagram/Facebook @expandingworlds

The best technology makes our lives easier and connects us with what we need. But often the different devices we use don’t connect with each other or we don’t see the value in connecting them together. In this episode with Ben Wood, from CCS Insight, we are talking about how that is going to change as companies realise they need to work together. We also discuss why greater connectivity will enable better quality independent living and have a positive impact on our safety, our health, and our wellbeing. 

 Find out more about Ben https://www.ccsinsight.com/

Find out more about the Matter Standard https://csa-iot.org/all-solutions/matter/

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