History - Grass roots community development

In October 2003, The Personalised Lifestyle Assistance Project hosted a think tank day for people living with disabilities to come together and discuss outstanding, un-met needs and access issues. It was at this event that many of the participants identified the lack of evening and overnight flexible support services as a source of significant frustration and loss of independence and wellbeing. Their concerns included:

• Constraints on the hours in which support was provided during the night.
• Support that on occasion didn’t arrive, causing even greater frustration and hardship to the person with the disability and their families.
• Restricted set bed times (generally no later than 10pm) leaving people with little choice when it comes to undertaking a meaningful evening social life.
• The feeling of isolation when a family member who is a primary carer is away or ill and thus leaves the person with the disability in a vulnerable state.
• Living with ageing parents (who may be of ill health themselves) and having to depend on them for support, which put extra pressure on the families both physically and emotionally.
• Fearing that when a person’s loved one was no longer with them the only option would be a costly nursing home, even if they are young and can maintain a certain amount of independence.
  

From this discussion a small working party of people with physical disabilities was formed who were determined to change the status quo and make a difference.

Over the next three years this committed group of people conducted research to try to locate a model of care that responded to the identified need for night time support. The working party thought that providing individuals with a small amount of flexible support during the night would enable them to stay in their own homes and communities, reduce the strain on families and avoid costly congregate settings that tend to isolate people from their communities. Finally, a model of support that fitted these criteria was found in Queensland and was adapted to suit the Victorian community.

In 2006, in recognition of this gap in service provision DHS provided funding to pilot the project in the Bayside suburbs of Melbourne and under the auspices of Melba Support Services Inc, Nightlife Disability Services was formed.

The Committee - Consumer Driven Leadership

With the establishment of Nightlife, the working party reconstituted into the ‘Nightlife Committee’, all of whose members are now an essential part of the new service until a governance body, comprised of people who use the service is formed to direct the service. Nightlife was formed and will continue to operate as a consumer driven project and will continue to promote the rights of people with disabilities.

Nightlife Staff - Professionals who Care

Personal Care Staff

Nightlife staff are committed to providing dignified, supportive care for people living with disabilities.

Our staff undergo intensive, ongoing training which encompasses manual handling, OH&S, professional development on disability related topics and immersion in Nightlife’s founding values and principles. Staff meet once every three weeks to evaluate and discuss ideas for service improvement, to support one another and strengthen the “team spirit”.