New VMCH office in regional Victoria

10 November 2017

10 Nov 2017

Sean likes having a laugh, high adrenaline sports, keeping fit, playing wheelchair basketball and spending time with his adorable puppy, Ruby.

The 28-year-old has cerebral palsy and has never let his disability or people’s attitudes get in the way of achieving his goals and having fun.

“I’ve had a lot of people over the years telling me that I can’t do this and I can’t do that and I like proving them wrong.”

One thing that was holding him back though was a lack of supports outside of his family. That changed when he got his first NDIS plan this year and turned to not-for-profit disability service provider Villa Maria Catholic Homes (VMCH).

VMCH has helped Sean make the most out of his new NDIS plan. One goal was finding a support worker to assist him at the gym, swimming pool and to try new high adrenaline sports.

VMCH linked Sean with disability support worker, Kevin, and they go to the gym and the swimming pool. They will also try fishing and jet boating when the weather improves.

“Before the NDIS I was not getting any support. It was a lot of stress on my family,” Sean said.

“Having Kevin takes a lot of the stress off my family. Kevin is a really nice guy. He has a sense of humour. He definitely pushes me to keep going in the gym and gives me confidence.”

VMCH has been providing disability services in Victoria for more than 100 years and recently opened an office in Ballarat to offer disability support services in regions including Ararat, Pyrenees Shire, Moorabool Shire, Golden Plains Shire and Hepburn Shire.

For Kevin, the NDIS had offered him a career change. After 33 years working at a goldmine in Stawell, Kevin was retrenched and looking for a change.

“This job is different. That’s what I enjoy about it. I get to see the sunshine, do stuff outdoors in the fresh air. Every day can be different,” Kevin said.

“It’s nice to catch up with Sean and see the benefits he’s getting out of what we’re doing. It’s very rewarding.”

VMCH’s new Central Highlands office helps people make the most of their NDIS plan. This includes NDIS plan management and support coordination, support with daily living and community participation.

Seeds Regional Manager, Jo Debrincat, said VMCH has already helped hundreds of people transition over to the NDIS in other parts of Victoria.

“We bring that expertise to the Central Highlands and look forward to helping people make the most out of the opportunities they have within the new NDIS,” she said.

“The NDIS is about choice and the arrival of disability service providers like VMCH into this region broadens people’s options.”

VMCH’s Central Highlands office is located at 72B Mair Street, Ballarat East. It delivers services to Ballarat, Ararat, Pyrenees Shire, Moorabool Shire, Golden Plains Shire and Hepburn Shire.

For more information about the services VMCH offers please call our friendly staff on (03) 8595 2497 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

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Acknowledgement of Country

We here at VMCH respectfully acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands on which we gather, and we would like to take a moment to honour the fact that we live on the lands of the oldest civilisation in the world. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and wisdom of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging.