TRCA is provides invaluable services to the local community and is pro-active in advocating for the
rights of people living with a disability & their families

Flexi Respite – In-home and Community Access

Coordinated daily from 32 Mabel Street in Atherton, our Flexi Respite Program actively helps people living with a disability so they can effectively participate in the community. Usually provided in regular periods of 2 to 4 hours at a time, this service provided by TRCA is a valued commodity for families caring for a person with a disability in their own home and also provides important assistance for outings in the community.

The TRCA Flexi Respite Program provides an average of 140 hours of respite to around 30 families on a weekly basis. This equates to over 7000 hours of direct one-to-one support annually. Support is provided to carers and families across the Atherton Tablelands.

Flexi Program hours are negotiable within the hours 6 am – 6pm Monday to Friday. The majority of our clients access the service during this time. However, Flexi respite does, in some instances, operate on the Saturdays, through negotiation with the Coordinator.

The TRCA Flexi Respite Program operates with the intentions of supporting people living with a disability to focus on their abilities and work towards their individual goals and aspirations. While performing these duties we consistently work within the guidelines of our mission statement “A break that creates opportunities for quality family and community life.”
While the overall importance of individual choice and decision making of Service Users utilising this program is paramount, TRCA is always mindful of working within our duty of care and risk management. In essence, this means we are always operating with the best intentions of our Service Users in mind. TRCA firmly believes that people living with a disability are entitled to the same opportunities as everyone else and we aim to help our Service Users to achieve these standards of living.

Respite for Older Parent Carers (ROPC)

Parents caring for children living with disabilities need to plan for future care options as they become older. The ROPC program was established specifically for this reason. While some Older Parent Carers (OPC’s) may initially only need additional respite hours, the ROPC also provides important information relevant to future care requirements with a particular emphasis on helping people answer the question of “What will happen to my child when I am gone?”.

The benefit of this service is that it provides assistance to Older Parent Cares to start Planning for the Future, allowing them to share their dreams and visions for their son or daughter’s future. Through this process we provide assistance in identifying what supports and services are available to help make their dream become a reality.

Assistance can also be provided to Older Parent Carers to apply for additional funding.

The ROPC program is a face-to-face process between the Coordinator, the individual living with a disability, and their family. The aim is to work together and systematically identify personal short and long term goals, and make strategic plans to effectively meet these targets.

The ROPC program is available to eligible carers who are over 65 years of age, and over 45 years for indigenous carers. The Coordinator hosts bi-monthly parent/carer social days at varying locations on the Tablelands to bring people together for an informative and enjoyable day out, which helps develop informal support networks for carers.

Management and Administrative processes

The TRCA Administration Office is located at 32 Mabel Street Atherton.
(Opposite Mitre 10, next to Medicare)

The office is open for business from 9.30am – 3.00pm, Monday to Friday
Located here are:
- James Gegg – Service Manager
- Donna LeGear – Bookkeeper
- Leeanne Reid – Resource Development Officer

Also based here are the following Coordinators:
- Holiday House / Adult Lifestyle Support Program Coordinator
- Respite for Older Parent Carer Program Coordinator
- Flexi Program Coordinator

Please note:
Our Centre Coordinator’s office is currently located at the Alice Street Respite House.