Our Vision
Our Vision
People living the life they want.
Our Mission
To work in partnership with people, their families and whānau to assist in creating a life where people are valued as fully participating citizens through work, education and having fun!
We strive to help people to integrate and participate in their communities in ways that enhance their quality of life so they can live the life they want.
Our Values
Values
Making Choices:
"I like to feel in control."
Support is tailored to the individual and the person is the captain of their own ship.
Goals and aspirations of the people we work with guide service delivery.
Being Respected:
"It's important I'm taken seriously."
Each person has the right to be heard and listened to
Service changes are based on feedback from the people we work with and family/whānau
Being Included:
"I'm able to do things that are important to me."
Support is based on everyday places and one person, one opportunity.
SkillWise is intentional about pathways from SkillWise-based activities to community opportunities.
Learning:
"I'm open to ongoing learning and development."
SkillWise acknowledges that ALL people are lifelong learners.
Service delivery is based on the intention of ordinary life outcomes.
SELF-DETERMINATION
RESPECT
BEING INCLUDED
LEARNING
SkillWise Visional
This is an outline of our service history and where we are heading. Scroll down to read about our journey.
Sheltered and protected
SPAN was created to be a place of stability - an anchor. The sheltered workshop was created by families who wanted to support their loved ones with disabilities. Why 1992? That’s when institutions were closed down in Aotearoa, and disabled people needed community support.
People with disabilities had little power or say in their own lives, and were seen as ‘special’.
Image key: ⬤ Staff ⬤ Friends
⬤ Family ⬤ Disabled person
Ordinary Lives and Skills
In 2004, we transitioned to a community participation service, following policies that promoted ‘ordinary lives’ for disabled people. We renamed ourselves ‘JobAble’ and ‘clients’ participated in group activities, building experiences and skills. The community was in reach, but focus groups in 2008 told us there was a strong desire to be part of the community.
Transformation begins
In 2011 we adopted the EGL approach, and started transforming our service through the Utopia Project. ‘Clients’ become ‘people we support’ and we began working in a more personalised way.
We supported people to learn life skills, find work and be in the community.
SkillWise History ⬆
Service Transformation ⬇
Anchor Journey
In 2021, SkillWise transformed again, based on people’s feedback and informed by the EGL approach.
SkillWise remains important to people, but people are also out there living their lives with ‘alongside’ and staff support, and staff on ‘standby’ if support is required. People are transitioning – becoming citizens and community members.
Image key: ⬤ Staff
⬤ ⬤ ⬤ Community
The Vision
Our vision for the next stage is that people will be seen as and feel like citizens. They will be Captains of their own ships: in control of the anchors, when to move on in their journeys. You can no longer tell who is supported by SkillWise. The hearts represent that underneath it all we are just people – all with different needs and support requirements. Like you and me…just people. You’ll see the SkillWise boat in the distance, faded and in the background – but crew at the ready, to be deployed if assistance is needed – but not obvious, or right beside a person/boat. Kind of like CoastGuard.
