Introducing The Enrichment Club

Therapy Care has recently launched a brand new NDIS group program; The Enrichment Club. This therapy-based hybrid support model is a group day program alternative aimed at complex care participants and recent school leavers. The model incorporates both community and centre-based supports, to address the extensive gaps that arise for participants when transitioning from a safe and structured environment such as school into day-to-day life and adulthood.

The environment at The Enrichment Club is designed to:
✓ Improve social interaction
✓ Introduce community integration
✓ Assist in behaviour management
✓ Create autonomy
✓ Build individual capacity

Therapy Care’s Operations Manager, Natalie Delana, is passionate about the importance of providing support for during transitional times in participant’s lives.

“The Therapy Care team continues to notice a demand for support that directly addresses the needs of complex care participants who desire greater community access, and school leavers,” Natalie says.

When participant’s aren’t supported during periods of transition, they may retreat into previous behaviours of isolation and lack of engagement.

“We worked closely with both internal and external behavioural support experts to design a program that encourages participant autonomy and community integration while still supporting each individual’s one-on-one needs.

“The therapy team has been heavily involved in creating this program. We asked questions such as ‘How do we manage behaviours?’, ‘How do we build routine and familiarity?’, ‘How can we enhance communication?’, and, ‘In what ways is it important that the enrichment club is different to our other group day programs?’,” explains Natalie.

The Enrichment Club runs Monday through Friday at Therapy Care’s new Richmond centre. This environment allows participants to build routines and structure, while simultaneously accessing community engagement opportunities.

The day begins at 8:30am. The first activity ‘Breakfast Club’, aims to set participants up for the day. It’s a time for participants to increase life skills such as making meals for themselves and others, washing and cleaning equipment and engaging in conversation. We also include sensory activities such as vacuuming or car washing.

Participants then have ‘Transition Time’, where the day’s activity is explained through education and viewing videos of themselves previously engaging in this activity, which stimulates familiarity. From 11:00am until 1:00pm participants engage in the daily activity. This can be a visit to the secret garden, swimming, cooking, music, drama, or our exercise program ‘get active!’.

Following the activity each day the group is taken to a ‘picnic in the park’ where they can socialise, relax, and eat lunch. Finally, participants begin the journey home via the bus to Therapy Care Blacktown as they unwind from the day.

“Every Monday and Friday participants partake in an activity that is out in the community. We also have our Blacktown group day program participants visit the Richmond centre for activities such as cooking, music, and drama to increase the social involvement of all participants. This is an important opportunity to assess if participants are ready to transition into a larger more community-focused group program,” explains Natalie.

Another particularly important aspect of The Enrichment Club is the onsite therapist present each day. One of Therapy Care’s highly trained speech, behavioural, recreational, or exercise therapists is on-site every day to provide individual therapy support as well as guide group activities through a specific therapy lens. This creates a holistic approach to providing support for participants and ensures our team is working collaboratively to achieve participant’s NDIS goals.

The Enrichment Club is currently introducing a daily social diary for all participants. The diary will contain images, reflections, and comments by the participant as a way of tracking and regulating emotions and feelings about the day. The diary also acts as a form of communication with participant’s wider support systems such as family or carers in order to ensure participants are actively progressing and working towards their NDIS goals with the Therapy Care team.

“We have seen a significant increase in engagement from participants who are a part of The Enrichment Club already. This positive trajectory is not only limited to the time spent at the program but translates to time at home and socialising with others,” concludes Natalie.

If you or someone you know would like further information on The Enrichment Club, please contact us at:
📧 info@therapycare.com.au
📞 02 9626 8119