Tag Archive for: mental health

“I’m Sam and New Image Laundry has helped improve my life”

Samantha Russell is a proud new mum who works at IMPACT’s New Image Laundry.

Sam is an integral part of the team and has made incredible progress both personally and professionally in the four years since she started work at the laundry.

“Early in my life I developed a panic disorder which was quite hard to deal with. It got so bad I wasn’t comfortable leaving the house,” Sam said.

“Looking back, I was in a really hard spot, but I’m so proud of how far I’ve come.”

New Image Laundry is one of IMPACT’s social enterprises, designed to help people maintain employment by providing a supported working environment.

Laundry manager Daniel Leary said when Sam first started she was quiet, unassuming and had been unemployed for an extended period of time.

“Now, she’s just blossoming,” he said.

“It’s just wonderful to see how Sam’s confidence has grown – both at work and as a Mum but it hasn’t been without its challenges.”

There was a stage where Sam had given up on the ability to work and drive because she was too anxious.

“I thought about how we could help Sam, so I connected her with some of IMPACT’s other programs – Mental Health and the Cooee Group.

“One of our Mental Health Support Workers Wendy Lindeman really took Sam under her wing and guided her through the difficult time.”

Sam said IMPACT and the laundry team were extremely supportive and assisted her to get the help she needed to get back on track.

“The laundry staff are like a second family to me,” she said.

“I know that I’m supported here and that it’s a safe environment that I can come to, even if I’m having a bad day.

“IMPACT has helped me learn new and different skills, develop coping mechanisms and work through my challenges.

“It’s been great to talk to other people who face similar struggles and learn about what they do to cope.”

Danny said Sam has improved immensely over the last few years and is now a Quality Control Supervisor, which plays an important role in the business.

“Sam is great at what she does and is pivotal in ensuring the laundry is maintaining its customer base,” he said.

“Without quality, we don’t have customers and without customers, we don’t have a business.

“Sam is always the one that steps up and helps without being asked, she just takes it on her own shoulders.

“When you look at where Sam was four years ago compared to now, it’s truly a great success.

“Down the track I can see Sam being a wonderful mentor for people working through similar challenges.

“I’m incredibly proud of Sam and am excited to see what the future has in store for her.”

STRONGER TOGETHER: International Day of People with Disabilities

STRONGER TOGETHER: International Day of People with Disabilities

By Tanya O’Shea, IMPACT Community Services Managing Director

“STRONGER TOGETHER” IS A WEEKLY COLUMN WHERE TANYA EXPLORES KEY ISSUES. TODAY TANYA TALKS ABOUT EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.

At IMPACT we pride ourselves on our inclusive culture.

Our ethos is based around helping people realise their potential and providing avenues to assist them in reaching their goals.

Our services range from family support, training, employment, mental health and disability support, just to name a few.

But one area of our organisation I am deeply proud of are the opportunities we have created for assisted employees.

The Material Recycling Facility (MRF) employs 23 NDIS participants, and our New Image Laundry is another avenue for supported staff.

Many of our supported employees have not held jobs prior to working at IMPACT and found it difficult to become employed.

See IMPACT’s NDIS services here

Yesterday, December 3, was the International Day of People with Disabilities (IDPD), with this year’s theme being “Building Back Better: toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 World”.

Everyone has been affected by Coronavirus in one way or another, and now as we focus on returning back to “normal”, I would urge people to consider what “normal” should look like.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in 2018 almost 50% of employed people with a disability reported experiencing unfair treatment or discrimination due to their disability from their employer.

Two in five reported that they experienced unfair treatment or discrimination due to their disability from their work colleagues.

This data shows Queenslanders have a long way to go when it comes to acceptance and inclusion of all people not only in the workforce, but in everyday life.

The conversation about the benefits of hiring people with a disability needs to be highlighted.

Our NDIS participants bring a mountain of life and joy to our organisation, and their happiness and willingness to learn is contagious.

NDIS participant Sarah creates impressive building blocks at Rob’s Shed

Some of our staff have been working at the MRF for over 30 years and their dedication is second to none.

Just like diversity in age and culture is important, so is a range of abilities in a workforce. It exposes people to a different “normal”, encourages greater understanding and generates acceptance, which benefits our entire community.

So have the conversation, do some research and encourage others to engage with disability awareness. We all deserve to be accepted.

IMPACT: sharing our role as changemakers in the community

IMPACT: sharing our role as changemakers in the community

IMPACT Community Services’ MD Tanya O’Shea will be one of three panelists discussing social innovation tomorrow at CQUniversity’s online Festival of Change

IMPACT Community Services MD Tanya O’Shea will tomorrow speak at CQUniversity’s Festival of Change where she will discuss the conception of one of the organisation’s social enterprises.

The festival is a learning opportunity facilitated by CQUniversity’s Office of Social Innovation and runs from August 31 through to September 18.

The national event is designed to celebrate and bring life to changemaking within the CQUni community. It also aims to acknowledge the positive impact the university and its stakeholders are having on the world while promoting opportunities for engagement, learning and collaboration.

Speak to New Image Laundry today

Mrs O’Shea has been invited to speak on the ideation phase of IMPACT’s second social enterprise, New Image Laundry.

“I’ll be sharing our journey of looking for a social enterprise that benefited both us and the community,” Mrs O’Shea said.

“We’d had great outcomes with the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) and we wanted to add another.”

She said the focus was on job creation to achieve social outcomes.

“We wanted another social enterprise, like the MRF, that could create jobs for the community particularly for people with a disability and mental illness,” Mrs O’Shea said.

Recycle with IMPACT’s Material Recycling Facility

The criteria for the business was that it had to provide low-skill work for our assisted workers, add value to the community, and it had to fill a gap in the business landscape.

Tanya and her team brainstormed several different ideas and decided to trial five different businesses: a cleaning company, a car-detailing business, a fishing lure manufacturing business, a jam-making business and the laundry.

They all had potential as an independent revenue stream, so they trialled them all for two years, but four fell short for different reasons.

“The jam-making business was very successful, so much so that we couldn’t keep up with orders, but the business wasn’t scalable,” Mrs O’Shea said. “The one that ticked the most boxes was the laundry.”

Before the current New Image Laundry, IMPACT had bought existing business Peg and Iron and rented a premises at East Bundaberg. In 2016 IMPACT purchased the vacant block of land at Inglis Court and built the new state of the art facility that is in operation today.

Give a little, get a lot: volunteer with us

“We went on a fact-finding road trip and got a lot of useful help and information from a number of commercial laundries including Vanguard Laundry, another social enterprise in Toowoomba,” Mrs O’Shea said.

“We took the idea to government and they provided us with $900,000 towards the $2.8million required to set up the business and since then it’s been very successful in creating employment.”

The Festival of Change session will follow the Human Centred Design framework. Mrs O’Shea will be joining panel members prominent in the field, such as Elise Parrups, CEO Qld Social Enterprise Council, and Leslie Lowe, a fellow CQUni Alumnus Winner.

CQUniversity is well regarded as Australia’s most inclusive and engaged university, with social innovation as a driving value and ethos. It has received accreditation from Ashoka U as Australia’s only changemaker campus. As one of Bundaberg’s most successful community service forward thinkers, IMPACT is a passionate advocate for social innovation in the region.

Register here now.

IMPACT's leader recognised for excellence in community services industry

IMPACT’s leader recognised for excellence in community services industry

CQUniversity has awarded Tanya O’Shea the 2020 Alumnus of the Year – Industry Excellence award in recognition of her significant leadership in community services.

CQUniversity’s Deputy Director of Advancement and Alumni Relations, Anthea Cuddihy said as the current Chief Executive of IMPACT Community Services and a sought-after board and committee member, Ms O’Shea had made substantial contributions to her community and industry.

Tanya is being recognised for her important role in employment, disability, mental health, social innovation and training services through exceptional leadership and management.” Ms Cuddihy said.

Under Ms O’Shea’s leadership, Bundaberg-based IMPACT Community Services has successfully managed significant events that threatened the organisation including major contract losses, cuts in funding and a resulting reduction in staff.

She successfully took part in a significant renewal plan over 10 years which enabled IMPACT to survive and thrive in tough conditions.

Ms O’Shea said that relocating IMPACT staff and operations to enable services to continue within 24 hours of being inundated by 1.1-metre floodwaters in the 2013 Bundaberg flood was something she was particularly proud of.

People came first during this event – it was a great story of resilience and courage. Staff who had been affected by the flood were putting our clients first and turning up for work instead of cleaning up their own homes,” she said.

We have amazing humans working for IMPACT – people who park their own problems at the door every day to support others to reach and realise their full potential. This is what inspires me to get out of bed every day and makes me incredibly proud of the work that we do.”

In 2013, the Bundaberg floods resulted in a loss of almost one million dollars, however, under Ms O’Shea’s leadership, the organisation emerged strongly from the natural disaster and continued a strong expansion and diversification over the next five years.

Her exceptional leadership has been recognised through IMPACT being awarded significant new long-term contracts, as well as the organisation receiving awards for excellence in innovative practice, sector leadership and quality outcomes.

Ms O’Shea also ranks her social enterprise work as a highlight of her career.

We tested and tried five different social enterprises with the aim of creating a model that provides employment opportunities for people with a disability and mental illness.

We accelerated one of these ventures, building a $2.8 million commercial laundry that now creates employment in an area with one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation and aims to employ 25-plus people in the next five years.”

Ms O’Shea’s extensive leadership experience means she is a sought-after board and committee member and guest speaker.

She is also currently Director of Surf Lifesaving Queensland, the Board Chair of Shalom College and sits on multiple community committees.

Over the last two decades, I have been fortunate to work within an organisation that has allowed me to truly make a difference to the social outcomes of my community.

Having spent the last eight years as CEO, it humbles me to see the progress we have made and continue to make in our regional area.

I am a firm believer in regional areas, and regional leaders are a power to be reckoned with. We are incredibly invested and willing to continue our consistent practice of being a leader.

I choose to live, work and raise a family in our community; therefore, I believe that I need to give back and make a personal contribution.

This extends to representing my community at a state level as Director of Surf Lifesaving Queensland, regional level as a Regional Development Australia Wide Bay Burnett Committee member and local level as Chair of the Shalom College Board.”

Ms O’Shea is a two-time graduate of CQUniversity, having completed a Bachelor of Psychology in 2011 and a Master of Business Administration in 2016.

View original article at CQUniversity