Early intervention to set expectations

With the support of Burwood and Auckland Spinal Units management and staff, Kaleidoscope has access to people with serious spinal injuries and their families earlier than ever before. Generally this is within the first week or two of an acute admission. Often serious injury cases, such as spinal injuries, can result in very lengthy hospitalisation so there is ample opportunity to get together with them and their families. The primary focus during this time is of course a person’s medical rehabilitation. However, valuable foundations for future vocations are laid as are the raising of expectations of on-going employment being both realistic and likely. At this stage it is too easy to focus on what someone can’t do rather than what is still possible and since we believe that dependency is a learned characteristic, it is crucial that we begin as early as possible in the rehabilitation process.

Detailed Career Planning

Detailed career planning gives people the opportunity to design a future path that they are motivated to get into. If someone’s previous job is no longer possible for them, they may be unsure what the future holds. Planning an employment future around the motivation, experiences, skills of people and the many thousands of job possibilities that exist will help give people the desire to get back into full active participation in the workforce.

Workplace Support

Post placement support is central to ensuring a smooth as possible transition back into the workforce. A key aim of the support provided is to sufficiently empower the employee so that the requirement for on-going regular support will gradually cease. However all parties will be clear that should any support be required at any time or an on-going support regime becomes necessary again, then it will be provided.

A Motivated and Supportive Local Business Community

The local business community has a huge amount to offer people who want to get back onto the workforce after a serious injury or illness. Kaleidoscope has a business network of over 40 local businesses from a variety of industries who have made themselves available to meet face-to-face to share quality information on their industry and to help identify a job search strategy that will assist people to gain a position within that industry.