MacKillop’s Family Volunteer Program provides tailored individual, short term support to Home and Community Care Program for Younger People (HACC PYP) eligible children or parent with a disability and their families.
The service endeavours to strengthen a family’s capacity to support their child or to provide short term support whilst they are awaiting other services to commence. Screened volunteer staff are matched to the family to support their specific needs.
The Family Volunteer Program aims to:
- support people to improve or maintain their independence
- support people to live safely at home
- support people to participate in community activities
- strengthen carers' capacity to provide care
- develop affirming relationships with family members to increase their self-esteem and self-confidence
HACC PYP Eligible clients may include:
- families/children awaiting NDIS
- families/children not eligible for NDIS
- families/children needing assistance while awaiting a service to commence
Examples of services we can provide include:
- support engaging with meaningful activities such as spending time in the garden, doing a craft or playing a game
- transport to and from appointments and support engaging or participating in the community
- support to develop social networks, for example, by linking a person to a community of interest or local neighbourhood group
- domestic assistance to supports the development of life skills and manage activities independently in the future.
- friendly visiting, where a volunteer regularly visits the same person to provide companionship
How to access this program
Please contact us to see if you, or a family you are working with, meets HACC PYP eligibility and what services we may be able to provide.
Frequently asked questions about the program
Who can receive volunteer support?
Anyone with a disability, and/or anyone who lives in their household. This includes, parents, carers, children, siblings. The family must be located in Melbourne’s Western suburbs.
How much does it cost?
There is no cost to access the Family Volunteer Program.
Does the family need to be referred by a service?
We do have a referral process for services to refer a family, however families are also welcome to self-refer. Please contact us to see if you meet the eligibility requirements.
Does the family need to have NDIS plan?
No, families are not required to have an NDIS plan to receive support from a volunteer.
How often can a family receive support?
This is subject to the volunteer’s availability, but generally our volunteers can support families once a week for 1 hour, or once a fortnight for 2 hours.
How long can a family receive volunteer support for?
We will work with the family to identify a goal that can be achieved within 6-12 months. We can provide the family with support within this timeframe, based on volunteer availability.
How can I become a volunteer?
Visit our Family Support Volunteer page and fill out the ‘Apply now’ section.
