Good News Stories

Sarah.J
NDIS Participant
We’re always busy at FFG making changes and helping our participants reach their goals 💜
Look at these real life looking babies made by one our participants and she finally not only has setup her micro enterprise but is selling her dolls real fast 😍💜🦋
When Sarah first came to Forward Focused she felt confused and frustrated. In her own words she stated " i feel let down by providers and my trust has been abused". We knew we had to work hard to win Sarah's trust and restore her faith in NDIS system and providers. We worked hand in hand with Sarah to achieve her goals in opening her new business and building her capacity to engage in her community. Together we explored multiple different employment options which included test and trial periods but we got there in the end when we discovered Sarah's love for babies and how she has helped foster so many in need despite her own disabilities.
It has been a beautiful journey and absolutely one we will never forget. Sarah has come so far and now with the help from Forward Focused she is a successful business owner and is an active member of her community with weekly trips outdoors.
Let’s all support this beautiful person to ensure her micro enterprise continues to grow 🙌🏻

Kaisah.G
NDIS Participant
Kaisah's coming along in leaps and bounds with her NDIS supports. A master Florist in the making Click to read full story

Kaisah.G
NDIS Participant
NDIS participant, Kaisah, who has a love for flowers, has found her niche designing, making flower bouquets at Rosey Arrangements Support Services social enterprise at FFG HUB.
The proud 16-year-old, who has Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy and anaphylaxis said, she’s learnt so much from working at the Rosey Arrangements classes, she’s confident it will ultimately lead to future employment in retail, a field she said she’s really passionate about.
“I love making things, selling them and talking to people. I love everything about these classes,” she said.
“My speciality is rose bouquets. My mum asked me to make them. She likes them, and they’ve been really popular in our house and also in the shops.”
Kaisah’s coordinator at Forward Focused said, Kaisah has thrived since she’s been involved with the flower arrangement classes.
“I’ve been working with Kaisah for about 6 months, and over that time I’ve seen her grow and gain so much confidence, while building her social and work skills. It’s been wonderful to watch. She’s very capable and a quick learner,” Forward Focused Coordinator.
Everyone really enjoys creating flowers in the classes. They love the community interaction, especially when we take our arrangements to the next level creating beautiful bouquets that participants then take home to their families or simply place them in their home which fills the air with amazing aroma. People are really interested and ask about the products and how they are made. The guys all love to share their stories.
It’s a win-win situation really. We’ve got participants learning skills and knowledge they need to work in retail, or to run their own business, and sales are going up. We are moving in the right direction and that makes us all really happy.

Levi.k
NDIS Participant
Lights ✨ Camera 🎥 Action 🎬
Setting The BAR high once again thanks to the one & only Troy Coward (Perth Actor)
Troy took our participant Levi out for some headshot‘s and some acting career advice today. 
FFG & Troy have partnered to deliver a world-class service that proudly works exclusively with people living with a disability based in Perth, Western Australia.
Our people are the stars, not just participants, which makes us one-of-a-kind in Australia. We provide professional mentoring in a supportive environment, working in partnership with our mentors to help them learn, explore, and reach their potential.
Drama skills are life skills. As people find their voice and develop their confidence, they grow in leadership and independence, which creates exciting new employment pathways.
FFG is about breaking down barriers, raising our voices, and showing the world what people with disabilities are capable of achieving.
We are so very proud of Levi and how far he has come to date and look forward to hopefully seeing him on the big screen soon 😎🥳

Andrew.H
NDIS Participant
Andrew's Journey to job Success with assistance from Forward Focused. Click to read full story

Andrew.H
NDIS Participant
Using his NDIS funding to engage Forward Focused, Andrew, who has Autism, secured work after participating in employment and interview skills training, a program empowering adults with disability to build their skills and confidence to gain work.
Now Andrew’s happy, working in mainstream employment, gaining even more experience in hospitality, and according to the warehouse owner, customers are flocking.
“I was blown away when Vida said I had paid work,” Andrew said. “I really enjoy working with the team, doing anything I can to help – packing, cleaning, serving working with machinery… everyone’s really proud of me,” he said smiling.
“We are so proud of Andrew, and very grateful to the employer for helping to create such a wonderful, life-changing, partnership. We worked with the employer to create a new role for Andrew and a salary which is above award rates” Vida(Director at FFG) said.

Yunus.H
NDIS Participant
Perth NDIS participant, 21-year-old Yunus.H has moved out of home and obtained employment to start leading his own independent life and says he couldn’t be happier.
Yunus, has Autism, Cerebral palsy and Intellectual Disability. Yunus said when he discovered these disability friendly houses, which could meet all his independent living needs, he couldn’t believe his luck.
“It’s been a goal of mine to move out of home into my own place since I was 18. Now, I can’t believe I’ve lived here a month, and I’m not even home sick!” he said laughing.
“It’s a great spot. When I go out my door I’ve got shops, cafes, restaurants, gyms and I can catch public transport,” he said.
“Forward Focused came tour rescue when all my funding was used and I didn’t know what had happened or how to navigate the NDIS system or ask for help. Vida and her team looked after us and paid out of their own picker for 2 months for me to have supports. Fast forward 1 year they have helped me get into my own house and get a job. I am grateful for their help”.
“Initially when moving house, I was a little worried about my personal support, having someone other than my parents do it, but my support workers have all been great. They do a fantastic job of caring for me in general, and they’ve made me feel much more confident.”
“Through my NDIS funding, I also receive regular physio and occupational therapies; I have a forearm walker and a leg frame I use to help build my leg strength”.
Yunus said his ultimate goal is to get his Drivers licence and to one day get married and have a family.

Andree.K
NDIS Participant
Andree states she feels empowered and states amputation "no barrier" to great life.

Andree.K
NDIS Participant
Andree NDIS participant, is celebrating one year, living independently in her own house with reduced supports – something she said people doubted she could do.
The 59-year-old, who has physical disabilities, said she was living in a house, but didn’t need around the clock care because she wanted to be capable and confident enough to do most daily living tasks herself.
Engaging her chosen local providers, Perth Health Care together the women set about making Andree’s goal a reality.
Now proving her doubters wrong, Andree is enjoying life in her own home, feeling quite proud and accomplished with less support.
Her increased independence means she no longer needs the same level of NDIS funding because she is able to do some tasks on her own.
“Living independently has been my goal for years. I wanted to prove to everyone I could do it, and I did,” Andree said proudly.
“My house is lovely; it’s wonderful. I’m really enjoying being here” she added.
Andree’s coordinator of supports at Forward Focused, said over the years Andree has developed “a real confidence about what she wants from life”.
Forward Focused Coordinator said working closely with Perth Health Care and their team, and understanding Andree’s strengths and needs, they’ve managed to build a strong support network around her.
Andree’s occupational therapist put some great strategies in place so now she has a communication book she fills out if there’s anything concerning her or if she needs help with getting anything done.
To support Andree to maintain a healthy lifestyle, another support worker, Sophia, comes in to assist her with meal prep during the week, and to ensure Andree gets a break.
Andree attended an expo Forward Focused had a stall at to thank us and stated to our Director “ Thank you, you have changed my life for the better”. Our Director then gifted Andree with a flower bouquet arrangement “.

Levi.J
NDIS Participant
Levi loves to hang from the monkey bars and jump on a trampoline like most boys his age. Anyone watching him play probably wouldn’t notice anything special.
But for his mum and dad, it’s nothing less than a miracle.
“We were told when he was three weeks of age that he will have a lifelong disability and may never walk,” said Reece’s dad, Selwyn. “All the doctors and specialists said he’s not going to walk and we needed to register him on the NDIS as soon as possible.”
Doctors initially diagnosed Levi with Down Syndrome, but later discovered he has his own unique syndrome, consisting of among other things, low muscle tone, which impacts his mobility, muscle strength and swallowing.
Despite needing multiple supports for his condition, he turned the doctors’ prognosis upside down with help from Forward Focused Support Coordinators linking us to the right therapy providers and supports.
Levi painstakingly learned to roll over, sit up, then bum shuffled until nearly two before he could eventually stand and walk.
Today, not only does Levi not need a wheelchair, he can run, kick a football, ride a balance bike and walk on a balance beam.
And on an unforgettable day in July last year, Levi ate solids on his own.
Levi’s parents say his astonishing progress is all thanks to early intervention through the NDIS.
They believe Reece wouldn’t be where he is today without multiple intensive therapies, funded through Levi’s NDIS Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) plan and the support of NDIS provider Novita, which recognised Reece had the determination to prove doctors wrong.
“As well as the NDIS making a change to a little boy’s life, it’s also made a massive change to his parents’ life as well, it has sustained us. It has changed our life in a very positive way, in regards to outcomes with our son but it has also brought us closer together as a family as well.” Said Levi’s mother.

Penny.A
NDIS Participant
Employment can be meaningful and rewarding for everyone.
The first question people often ask is ‘What do you do? We want to give people a dignified answer to that question.
Forward Focused supports NDIS participants to build their own small businesses, tailored to their individual talents, passions and needs.
Participants use their NDIS funding to access support with Forward Focused, which guides them in creating, launching and operating their own small enterprise.
Penny lives with a physical disability and owns a micro enterprise which has been carefully designed around her personal interests and abilities.
Penny has always loved gems and minerals, since she was a very young girl and when we were thinking about meaningful work for Penny, it seemed a natural fit for her.
Penny works with raw gems and minerals, tumbling, cutting, shaping, polishing and transforming them into beautifully polished soaps, nasal sprays and much more, which she then sells at markets, online and by word of mouth in her local community.

Michael.S
NDIS Participant
Support Coordination, Transport and Assistive Technology changes Michael's life

Michael.S
NDIS Participant
Michael knew the NDIS was rolling out, in WA, so at age 64 he did his research and became one of the first participants in the region to join the Scheme.
The now 67-year-old, who has suffered a stroke and ptsd causing eye abnormalities, hearing loss and joint pain, said the NDIS has been life-changing and it’s opened up his world to becoming more independent.
While Michael remains fiercely independent, formal supports have assisted him in gaining back some independence and have helped keep him out of aged care.
“To navigate the NDIS, I worked with Forward Focused, who helped me to better understand the supports that would benefit me most,” he said.
“Now, I’ve got a lovely support worker who takes me to the shops and a driver who picks me up and takes me to see my grandchildren. It’s great because I can spend as much time as I like browsing around without rushing and hurting myself” he said with a laugh.
Through Michael’s NDIS funding, he was able to buy assistive technology – a small bit of assistive technology to help him to identify items and also communicate, and he said the device has given him the confidence to become much more independent.
“Now when I go shopping I don’t have to worry about whether I’m buying a tin of cat food or a tin of baked beans. It’s great,” he said.
“Before, if I was looking for anything in particular, I had to put it off due to instability and no help. However now it is great I can be independent and participate in my local community as much as I like.
“It just goes to show with the right support coordinator linking you to the much needed supports and assistive technology, you can do things you never imaged you could do before,” Michael said.

James.L
NDIS Participant
James couldn’t be happier, using his NDIS funding to move out of his parents home into his own apartment where he can now be more independent.
The 35-year-old, who is diagnosed with Schizophrenia , has moved to a house in his local community with the assistance of his coordinator at Forward Focused who helped secure this for James. Independent living has always been at the top of James’s parents list for their son. Now This move will give James a choice to live his life the way he wants to and provide another window for more capacity building.
“Physically, mentally and financially, I’m much better off than I was previously thanks to Forward Focused. “It’s been a life-saver.” James said.
“I’m back feeling much better and doing things I hadn’t been able to do before. I love music. I have ever since I was a child. Forward Focused Co-Founder Simon linked me up with some professional music makers and creators which has enabled me to do what I love best on a weekly basis”. James said.
“I had 2 goals – One was to get my own place and the other to make music. Forward Focused has helped me reach both goals and I am so very much happy”.
James’s Support Coordinator, Blake, said he worked closely with James, his NDIS planner, his support workers and therapists, to help him transition.
“The changes we’ve seen in James since he moved have been incredible. His physical and mental health has improved dramatically, and it’s great to see him back playing his music” Blake said.
James has also formed new friendships, and you can see he is really enjoying being able to socialise with people closer to his age without worrying about his disability.
“Now I can live my life to the best of my ability, the way I choose,” James said.

Khiem.D
NDIS Participant
As a person with a disability, it has been hard to learn to trust alternative sources of support, especially when you’re extremely vulnerable, but being part of the NDIS and having that choice and control has definitely helped to make those decisions easier, and I am certainly more confident about the future long-term care and support of my very vulnerable children. It has been very much overwhelming and I can think of nothing better but to go away for a little while and just be by myself and relax but also in an environment where i can be close to people if i choose” Kheim said.
Well at Forward Focused we listened and made this dream come true for Khiem. Our Directors Vida & Simon purchased one night at Crown Towers all expenses paid for and Our Coordinator Blake delivered the wonderful surprise gift to Khiem at his house.
Khiem was a little surprised to say the least. He gave Blake the biggest hug and shook his hand thanking him repeatedly.
We were glad to be able to put a smile on your face and hope you enjoyed your stay 😊

Oskar.K
NIDS Participant
Oskar's Grand Final Outing. Building Capacity & participating in his community

Oskar.K
NIDS Participant
We noticed that Oskar was very social, but he would get elevated at times and would need small breaks to prevent becoming overstimulated. However, we at Forward Focused saw potential and to assist in building Oskar’s capacity and enable him to participate in his community, Forward Focused organised and bought tickets to the Grand Final for Oskar to attend with his key therapist.
Oskar really loved the carousel, he made friends with about 6 other children throughout the time he was on there.
Oskar is also very helpful, as we were walking through the playground he would assist children who needed help (a great example is Oskar assisted 2 other children on the flying fox, helping them get it back to the top, helping them get on and giving them a push. Oskar would always ask if they wanted the assistance before helping.
After we were in the playground we went back to Oskar’s family (mother and grandmother) to regroup and plan our day a little bit.
We went down to the McDonalds kids area and Oskar won plenty of prizes with the Handball challenge, a spin the wheel and Connect-4.
Oskar was hesitant of the Mascots, but it was hard to tell if that was due to the look of them (we only saw Ronald McDonald and the Bulldogs mascots.)
Oskar made sure while he was in the crowd that him and his therapist would “elbow” each other to make sure they didn’t wander off from each other
We all went into the ground together, finding the seats and sticking to the same “elbow” rule Oskar and his therapist came up with earlier.
Oskar also spent a decent amount of time on his tablet to help regulate himself.
As the pre-game ceremonies finished Oskar was starting to get a bit more excited about the game, asking his key therapist from forward focused a few questions about the teams and footy in general.
Oskar was very good during the game, really getting into the spirit of it initially. Towards the end of the game Oskar was very relaxed and right in his element. He gave his therapist a big hug and thanked him for bringing him to the game saying “ wow, this is amazing, how cool. Thank you for bringing me”.
