After-school support, school holiday programs, mentoring, and community activities for children, teens, and young adults with disability across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland and the Hunter Valley.
Childhood and adolescence are a lot of growing in a short window of time - friendships, school, identity, independence, and the slow build of skills that adult life depends on. For a child or young person with disability, every one of those milestones can take more planning, more practice, and more patient support.
Our Youth Support service is built around that reality. We provide one-on-one and small-group disability support for kids, teens, and young adults aged 7 to 25 across Newcastle and the Hunter Valley - fitted around school, family routines, and the things a young person actually enjoys. The focus is real-world: getting to swim training, building confidence to order a coffee, making it through a tough after-school transition, or finally learning how to use public transport independently.
We work alongside parents, schools, and any allied health team a young person already has - so the same goals are being reinforced everywhere the young person spends time. Sessions are run by support workers who are screened, NDIS Worker Screening cleared, and chosen for their ability to connect with young people - not just tick off tasks.
Children, teenagers, and young adults aged 7-25 with an NDIS plan (or in the process of applying). Self-managed and plan-managed participants welcome. We do not provide clinical therapy - we work alongside therapists to reinforce goals in everyday life.
What a 9-year-old needs is very different from what a 17-year-old needs. We adjust our approach, activities, and goals based on the developmental stage and individual interests of each young person.
After-school decompression, social skills through play, sensory-aware activities, supported play dates, building independence with everyday tasks like packing a bag or following a routine. Lots of fun, lots of patience, lots of routine.
Navigating high school transitions, friendships and social pressure, identity, body changes, handling homework load, and starting to build the self-advocacy skills they will rely on as adults. Mentoring style support, age-appropriate respect.
Driving lessons or learner-driver support, part-time work readiness, social independence (cafes, gigs, gym, public transport), preparing for the move from school-based to adult NDIS supports, building practical life skills for after school.
Living-skills coaching for moving out, navigating relationships and money, supported study or work pathways, building a community outside the family home, and growing genuine independence at the pace that works for the young person.
Pick up from school, snack and decompression time, supported homework where helpful, and a structured but relaxed afternoon - so parents have a window to work, rest, or focus on siblings without the after-school chaos.
Holiday-period day support - mix of community outings, skill-building, and downtime. We can do daily blocks across the school holidays so parents can keep working and young people stay active, engaged, and out of screen-only days.
A consistent support worker who builds a real relationship with the young person over time - someone they trust, who knows their interests, and who supports them through the harder weeks as well as the easier ones.
Practical, real-world skills - cooking simple meals, managing pocket money, using a phone safely, catching a bus, ordering at a counter, doing laundry. Skills are taught in the actual setting they are used, not just from a workbook.
Supported access to the things a young person actually wants to do - swim squad, art class, gym sessions, drama, gaming meetups, skate park, fishing. Support that gets them there, helps them belong, and steps back as confidence grows.
Supported social opportunities - small groups, peer outings, structured social activities where a young person can practice friendship skills with the right amount of background support to feel safe and successful.
Getting to and from activities, learning to use public transport independently, mapping out routes a young person can manage on their own over time. Includes accessible transport for participants with mobility needs.
Practical preparation for life after school - exploring post-school options (TAFE, supported employment, day programs), building the skills needed for adult NDIS supports, and helping families prepare for the plan review that comes with the transition.
Youth support sessions are designed around the young person, not around a fixed program. Below are the kinds of sessions we run most often - and these can be combined, swapped, or built around a young person's interests.
Plan a simple meal, walk to the shops, choose ingredients, cook it together, eat it. Builds independence, budgeting, sequencing, and confidence with everyday food.
Newcastle's beaches, the foreshore, Blackbutt, Speers Point park, Lake Macquarie - active, sensory-friendly outings that get kids moving without the overstimulation of indoor venues.
Supported gaming meetups, art and craft sessions, music, Lego clubs - structured creative time that meets young people where their interests already are.
Practising ordering at a counter, managing money, navigating busy public spaces - small wins that build the confidence young people need to move around the community independently.
Gym sessions with a support worker, swimming, walking groups, supported access to community sports clubs - building habits that protect physical and mental health into adulthood.
Not tutoring - support to actually get homework done. Reducing overwhelm, breaking tasks into chunks, and building the executive function skills that school relies on but does not always teach.
Learning to use Newcastle buses, ferries, and trains - starting with supported journeys, then practising independent legs of the trip, until the young person can manage a regular route on their own.
Sometimes the best session is a low-key one - a walk, a chat, a movie, a hot chocolate. Trust and consistency are part of the work, not separate from it.
A parent, carer, or support coordinator gets in touch. We have an initial chat about the young person - their interests, what is working, what they find hard, and what the family is hoping youth support will help with.
We meet the young person at home or somewhere they feel comfortable - low-pressure, no commitment. The aim is to make sure the support worker and young person actually get along before any regular sessions start.
Together with the family (and the young person where appropriate), we agree on what we are working towards, what days and times work best, and how often sessions will run. Goals are practical and the young person has a voice in setting them.
Sessions run on the agreed schedule - usually a consistent day and time so the young person knows what to expect. The same support worker each time wherever possible, so trust and routine can build.
Where helpful, we coordinate with the young person's school, allied health team, and family - so everyone is reinforcing the same goals. Brief progress updates to parents, no surprises, and a clear point of contact at any time.
Every 8-12 weeks we check in on goals - what is working, what needs changing, what the young person is ready to try next. As they grow, the support grows with them.
Quick chat with the young person to see how their day has been, what their energy is like, and whether the planned activity still feels right. Flexibility is part of the work.
The planned outing, skill-building activity, or community access experience - run at a pace that matches the young person, with the support worker stepping back wherever possible.
Every session has a small intentional skill focus - ordering, paying, navigating, communicating, problem-solving - woven into the activity rather than drilled as homework.
Brief reflection at the end - what went well, what was hard, what we want to try next time. Done in a way that respects the young person's age and communication style.
A brief handover note or chat with the parent or carer at drop-off - what we did, anything notable, anything they should know. No surprises, no jargon.
Confirming the next session, any new activity ideas the young person has raised, and anything the family needs us to factor in (appointments, school events, holidays).
The goals we work on are different for every young person, but they tend to fall into these areas:
Speaking up for what they need, ordering food, asking for help, using AAC in real settings.
Spotting the early signs of overwhelm, using calming strategies, getting through hard moments without it derailing the day.
Joining a group, having a back-and-forth chat, navigating friendship ups and downs, dealing with conflict appropriately.
Hygiene routines, simple cooking, laundry, packing for an outing, looking after their own belongings, getting ready independently.
Counting change, tap-and-pay, budgeting pocket money, telling time, planning ahead, using a calendar or phone reminders.
Using public transport, walking known routes safely, finding their way around shopping centres, asking staff for help when needed.
When you trust someone to work with your child, you need to know exactly who they are. Every support worker on a youth support session is screened, trained, and accountable.
Every worker holds a current NDIS Worker Screening Check (NDISWC) - the disability-sector-specific national clearance required for any worker delivering NDIS support to a participant.
All workers supporting under-18 participants hold a current NSW Working With Children Check (WWCC), verified before they begin any session with a young person.
We operate under documented Child Safety policies aligned with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. Parents can request a copy at any time.
Wherever we can, the same support worker runs every session with a given young person - so trust and routine can build, and parents always know who is collecting their child.
Workers hold current First Aid and CPR certification. Any worker supporting a young person with a medical need has the specific training relevant to that participant.
Parents always have a direct line to a coordinator - not just the worker on the ground - so any concerns, changes, or questions can be raised and responded to quickly.
Call, email, or submit a referral. No formal referral needed - parents can contact us directly.
Brief 20-30 minute call to understand the young person, the family's goals, and check NDIS funding is in place.
Worker and young person meet in a relaxed setting - so we know everyone is comfortable before regular sessions begin.
Simple service agreement covering days, hours, goals, and NDIS funding categories used - signed off by the parent or plan nominee.
Regular sessions begin on the agreed schedule, with progress reviewed together every 8-12 weeks.
Our Youth Support service works with children, teenagers, and young adults aged 7 to 25. For participants under 7 (early childhood), the NDIS uses an Early Childhood Approach with specialised partners - we are happy to point families in the right direction. For participants 25 and over, our standard day-to-day support services apply (Daily Living Support, Community Participation, Lifestyle Support).
Most youth support sessions are funded from Core Supports - typically Assistance with Social and Community Participation, or Assistance with Daily Life depending on the activity. Some skill-building sessions can also be funded from Capacity Building - Increased Social and Community Participation. We talk through the right funding category at intake so the right line item is used and there are no surprises at plan review.
Yes. Every worker supporting an under-18 participant holds a current NSW Working With Children Check (WWCC) and an NDIS Worker Screening Check (NDISWC) - both verified before they begin any session. Workers also have current First Aid and CPR certification, and we follow documented child safety policies aligned with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. Parents can request a copy of these policies at any time.
Wherever we can, yes - and we strongly prefer it. Consistency is one of the most important things for young people building trust with a support worker. We aim to assign one primary worker per young person, with a single backup who has already met your child so leave or illness does not mean a stranger turning up. Where group activities run, the young person's primary worker is part of the staffing.
Yes - after-school pickup is one of our most common youth support arrangements across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, and surrounding areas. We coordinate with the school to make pickup smooth, and workers carry photo ID. Parents nominate any approved pickup procedure (e.g. who can sign the child out) and we follow it exactly.
Both. Many young people benefit from a mix - one-to-one sessions for skill-building or routines, plus small group activities for social development. Group sessions are kept small (usually 3-4 young people with appropriate worker ratios), age-grouped, and designed around shared interests. We never force group attendance - some young people thrive in groups, others do better one-to-one, and that is perfectly fine.
Yes. We run day-support arrangements across NSW school holidays - usually structured as daily blocks (half-day or full-day) with a mix of outings, skill-building, and downtime. Holiday support is in extremely high demand, so we ask families to give us as much notice as possible (ideally 4-6 weeks before the holiday period) so we can plan staffing and activities properly.
We support young people with a wide range of disabilities and needs, including significant behaviour and sensory profiles. Workers are briefed in detail at intake on a young person's behaviour support plan, sensory triggers, calming strategies, and any specific communication needs. Where a young person has a Positive Behaviour Support plan from a clinician, we follow that plan consistently in sessions and provide feedback to the behaviour support practitioner.
All sessions are charged at NDIS Price Guide rates relevant to the support type and time of day. Most youth support sessions fall under Standard Weekday Daytime, Evening, Saturday, or Sunday rates from the Core Supports schedule. We provide a clear price breakdown in the service agreement before any sessions begin, and invoicing is itemised so parents can see exactly what each session cost and which budget category it came from.
Yes, several things shift around 18. The NDIS plan typically changes shape (different supports become available, others reduce), Working With Children Checks no longer apply, decision-making moves more squarely to the young adult, and post-school options (work, study, day programs) become the focus. We help young people and families plan for this transition starting from around age 15-16, so the change at 18 is incremental rather than abrupt.
NDIS youth support, after-school care, school holiday programs, and mentoring for children and young people with disability across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, and the Hunter Valley.