Community Access and Independence

Tuesday, 8th of March, 2011

Synapse Accommodation's team hit the ground running this year. With flood waters impacting on two supported accommodation houses in Narangba the team swiftly responded and relocated clients to temporary quality accommodation.

Synapse Accommodation Manager Jo Priestley made it a chance to turn a negative into a positive and clients treated it like a holiday away from home. The key to their success was to keep to clients’ routines as much as possible and keep community access.

Quite simply, we all enjoy community participation. It can help to build social skills and increase a sense of wellbeing when someone has the chance to make a contribution. Social skills are important for maintaining and building relationships with others. They can also lead to joining a community group, which can in turn increase a person’s self esteem. Getting back into the community may also assist in developing social networks and open up opportunities for seeking employment.

When the flooding occurred earlier in the year, Clients were kept involved and informed. They were kept aware of their choices, supported and encouraged to participate in the process.  

Synapse Accommodation provides supported accommodation and lifestyle support that strives to encourage a person’s independence. So no matter what arises, be it a natural disaster or some other unusual event, clients have their rights respected and participate on their terms. When the flood happened we all as individuals were forced to adapt to our circumstances and make do.

Community access proved to be important during the flooding and showed how people look to their community for reliance.

Neighbourhood Watch Forest were instrumental in providing assistance with clearing damaged furniture and Community Services also provided valuable assistance.

“The community response to the flood showed how important community access is for everyone, rain or shine,” said Jo Priestley, Manager of Synapse Accommodation.

Jo is a firm advocate for the belief that if a client is aiming to set a goal for themselves, such as to volunteer in the community, or attend a TAFE course to increase their job prospects, they can have the same opportunities as anyone else with the right support.

“We all value the contribution that we can make to the community, clients are no exception,” said Jo.

This year Australia Day held more significance for Synapse’s Client Services crew and gave clients a chance to celebrate their achievement while paying homage to their Australian pride.

For more information about Synapse Accommodation, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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Media inquries: Anna Petrou on +61 7 3137 7400 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .