Support Coordinator Cameron Kevin has successfully guided one of our Canterbury customers to the NDIS assistance she needed – to the point that she is close to being able to do away with the additional support from SGCH.

Marie* was referred to Cameron in 2019: “On my original assessment, it seemed that Marie was a hoarder. There were excess goods in her home and she was living in squalor. The kitchen was filled with bags of rubbish and there were mice and cockroaches,” he says.

Following a recent inspection, Cameron and Property Care Specialist Lavina Siumaka were able to report that Marie’s home is now tidy and hygienic. “It has been a long road for all involved, a lot of SGCH team members have been part of this great outcome. Marie is very grateful and happy.”

When Cameron first met Marie, his plan was to liaise with Canterbury Mental Health to have her NDIS application lodged on psychosocial grounds – at that time Marie was under a Community Treatment Order because she had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and depression.

Frustrated by the time this process was taking, Cameron tried some other approaches: “I used our regular Clean Sweep as an opportunity to have the kitchen cleaned and rubbish removed,” he says. In February 2020, fellow Support Coordinator Zoe Bell took over Marie’s case and pushed on with attempting to get NDIS support for her. Lavina also became involved with Marie in 2020, because there were broken doors and windows at her home.

In 2021, Cameron resumed working with Marie and helped her lodge a transfer application for a home that is more suitable. “Her current home has a lot of steps, which she finds very hard to manage.” Then in June 2022, the Handyperson Team liaised with Cameron to clean out most of her front room. “I also organised a council pick-up and, with Marie’s support worker Sam, I carried a lot of goods out to the street.” 

Eventually, in October 2022, Cameron secured NDIS funding for Marie, via disability service ABLE. “She was approved for a package of $99,000 for two years – this is core supports and a NDIS Support Coordinator. Her supports are now in place and Marie has meals delivered five days a week, because she won’t cook. She has a cleaner come in for two hours every Tuesday and has a worker attend every Wednesday to transport her to any appointments.”

Recently, when Lavina and Cameron visited Marie’s place, they could see the benefits of Central Services stimulus funding that saw her home painted, recarpeted and a new kitchen installed.

“Lavina will continue quarterly inspections until we are certain Marie has not returned to living in squalor,” says Cameron, “but she knows she can contact us at any time if she has any concerns. It’s great to see someone thrive when they receive the right support.”

• Name has been changed to protect customer’s identity