Peer disability support initiative gains national recognition

A new initiative enabling students who are training for careers in community services and disability to support peers with disability has achieved national recognition.

Kangan Institute’s Sustainable Disability Support initiative was awarded the Highly Commended accolade at the Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training’s (ADCET) 2023 Accessibility in Action Awards. The initiative provides students who are studying community services and disability courses with a work placement opportunity within Kangan Institute’s student support unit.

Placement students are selected through an interview process and provided before-the-job training in Child Safety Support, Work, Health and Safety, and the Employee Code of Conduct. They are then paired with learners requiring disability support as they come through TAFE, providing these learners with individualised support to help them thrive in education.

Since its inception, the initiative has created five placement opportunities supporting 15 students with disability, resulting in more than 640 support and placement hours.

Diploma of Community Services (CHC52015) student Sophia Uribe, who completed work placement through the initiative, said it offered her an opportunity to work with students one-on-one as a support worker. Her role also involved supporting student registration and liaising with educators and other staff to case manage individuals in the service.

“I worked with very different people with very different circumstances, so my first thought was to think about their specific needs, goals and wants, as this is what person-based practice in community services is about,” Sophia said.

“It was rewarding to see students opening up to me and to build a rapport with them, in some cases advocating for them and supporting them with their goals. I was also really glad to see one of the students go on to the next step of their academic life.”

The placement has since led Sophia to securing a job as an education support worker at Kangan Institute’s Broadmeadows campus.

“Placement allowed me to put my knowledge into practice and it also gave me the opportunity of employment through Kangan,” Sophia said.

Implemented last year, the initiative was sparked by impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, with Kangan Institute’s student support team leader Priyanka Choudhury and disability liaison officers Faye Sakelariou and Peter Battaglia spearheading the new program.

“The sudden shift to remote learning and social distancing measures presented additional challenges and barriers to accessing support services, and many students with mental health conditions reported feeling isolated or anxious and needing additional support to manage their symptoms,” Priyanka said.

(Pictured: Priyanka, Peter, Sophia and Faye from Kangan Institute's Student Support team)

“Pandemic restrictions also impacted students who were completing their mandatory professional placements. Several had lost access to scheduled placement opportunities, resulting in a backlog.”

The student support trio worked with teaching and placement teams across Kangan Institute to develop a solution.

“What we came up with was a student-centred approach including on-the-job learning for students on placement and a supportive, accessible learning environment for students with disability,” Priyanka said.

Kangan Institute Acting CEO Graham Fryer said the initiative reflected the TAFE’s commitment to student success.

“Students are at the heart of what we do at Kangan Institute and this fantastic program demonstrates the passion and creativity of staff like Priyanka, Faye and Peter in providing the best for our students,” Graham said.

“Providing vital support and improving the educational outcomes for people with disability are amongst the most important tasks Kangan Institute has.

“Being a TAFE, we are also focused on delivering strong vocational outcomes for our students, starting with access to practical, hands-on learning opportunities.

“By transforming the challenges of the pandemic into an opportunity, this initiative ensures all our learners have everything they need to succeed, from an inclusive learning environment and individualised support right through to real-world industry experience.”

Kangan Institute was also a finalist for the 2021 and 2022 Victorian Training Awards Inclusive Training Provider of the Year.

A total of 23 awards were presented at the ADCET 2023 Accessibility in Action Awards, with winners representing universities, TAFEs and training providers from across Australia.