Annual Report 2022
SERVICE UPDATES:
The Living Well Project.
The Living Well project seeks to build on practice that is both informed and delivered by people with lived experience of spinal cord injury or similar disability.
Activities are founded on goal-setting, strength identification, knowledge and skill building. All delivered in the community and designed to enhance an individual’s capacity to live well.
The project, part of AQA's wider Community Engagement services, aims help people with spinal cord injury or similar physical disability who will benefit via one or more of:
-
Participate and contribute to design, planning and coordination via a Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP)
-
Experience the capacity building as Trainers and or Group Leaders
-
Experience the capacity building as Buddies (Assisting formal and informal supports i.e. support workers, family, friends, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, OT students, community nurses, exercise physiologists, AQA office based staff members)
-
Experience the targeted strength and skill building programs facilitated by Trainers and Group Leaders and delivered via co-designed courses.
Participant Experiences.
Seeing how people "do things" outside of the clinical setting, beyond what happens with your therapist.
In the last year (Nov 21 – Nov22)* the Living Well Project has delivered peer led activities to 78 participants and 71 buddies (a collective 790.5 hours and 599.5 hours respectively).
*since the easing Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns
These have been across the following activities:
-
25 x Manual Wheelchair Skills / transfer sessions held at the AQA Office and in the surrounding Fairfield community
-
3 x Manual Wheelchair Skills session in regional Victoria (Gippsland, Mornington & Geelong
-
2 x Skills For Independence courses (5 days/4 nights)
-
1 x Train-the-Trainer course (5 days/4 nights) - developing 6 new AQA Peer Trainees to deliver future peer led activities
-
1 x Online workshop
The Living Well Project has been capturing survey responses to measure the program outcomes through the indicators / measure of success of participants and buddies.
For responses collected from 30/4/2022 survey respondents, where the question is relevant.
-
89% of individuals have reported improved knowledge or skill
-
88% of individuals have reported improved motivation and confidence
-
100% of individuals have reported they feel their contribution is valued
-
92% of individuals have reported increased leadership and influencing opportunities
-
68% of individuals have reported they feel they have a say on issues that are important to them
Over the next 12 months, Living Well Project activities include:
-
Graduating our Peer Trainees to Peer Trainers (Facilitators and/or Wheelchair Skills Instructors) to deliver future peer led activities
-
Manual and Power Wheelchair Skills sessions
-
Online workshops
-
Skills For Independence: Family Connections course
-
Women's Skills for Independence
-
Train-the-Trainer course
-
Group Leader Training course
