01
What would you actually like to do?
We start there rather than with a list of activities we happen to run.
Social & group activities · Sydney North Shore
Community access on the North Shore.
Getting out and doing the things you actually want to do, with someone who knows the area. From the Balmoral esplanade to the Ku-ring-gai tracks, and the ordinary stuff in between.
Answered Mon–Fri 9:00am–5:00pm.
Free, no obligation
Tell us what you need and we’ll ring you back.
- Registered NDIS provider
- Local to the North Shore
- Meet your worker first
- Help before you have a plan
Social & group activities
Somewhere to be, and a reason to go
Community access gets written up as “social participation”, which makes it sound like a programme. In practice it is a coffee at Balmoral, the Thursday gym session, or getting the confidence to catch the train to Chatswood on your own. We start from what you would do if nothing was in the way.
What’s included
- One-to-one outings chosen by you, not slotted into a fixed timetable
- Small group activities with people at a similar stage
- Transport to and from, including support on public transport
- Building up to doing the same trip independently, if that is the goal
- Support at the gym, the pool, the library, TAFE or a class
- Weekend and evening support, where it is funded
How it works
Getting started
02
Meet the worker
Free, before anything is booked. Shared interests matter more here than anywhere else.
03
Start small
One outing a week is a normal beginning. There is no obligation to scale up.
04
Widen it out
More often, further afield, or with less support, whichever direction you want to go.
Our patch
We know these streets, because we work on them
Between the hospital precinct, the station and the bush tracks at Lane Cove, the North Shore isn’t one place. Support that works in Crows Nest doesn’t automatically work in Wahroonga.
Balmoral Beach, Mosman
The Esplanade, Balmoral
Bobbin Head, Ku-ring-gai Chase
West Head lookout
Photographs: Balmoral Beach by Jeremy (CC BY 2.0) · The Esplanade by Junekingsyd · Bobbin Head by Schomynv · West Head by Travelstine · hero, Bradleys Head, by Mina20h, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA.
Meet & greet
Meet your support worker before you decide
Nobody should have to pick a provider off a website. Come and meet the person who’d be turning up. Have a coffee. Ask the awkward questions. If it isn’t a fit we’ll find someone else, and it costs you nothing either way.
Who this is for
Ring us if any of these sound like you
- You are home more than you would like to be
- You want to build up to travelling independently
- A carer needs a few hours back in the week
- You have Core or Capacity Building funding for social participation
Who you’ll be dealing with
Small team. Same faces.
You won’t get a different worker every fortnight, and you won’t be handed to whoever is free. The person you meet is the person who turns up.
[Name]
Director
One line, in their words — why they started this.
[Name]
Support coordinator
One line — what they help people sort out.
[Name]
Support worker
One line — the part of the job they actually like.
[Name]
NDIS Navigator
One line — what they wish more people knew about the NDIS.
Where we work
Areas we serve
Our office is at 11/82–86 Pacific Highway, St Leonards NSW 2065. We work across these local government areas. Pick yours to see the suburbs. Can’t find it? Ring us anyway and we’ll tell you straight away whether we cover you.
- North Sydney
- Crows Nest
- St Leonards
- Cammeray
- Neutral Bay
- Cremorne
- Kirribilli
- Milsons Point
- McMahons Point
- Waverton
- Wollstonecraft
- Lavender Bay
Call 0421 959 006 Don’t see your suburb? Ring us, we most likely still cover it.
- Chatswood
- Willoughby
- Artarmon
- Naremburn
- Northbridge
- Castlecrag
- Castle Cove
- Middle Cove
Call 0421 959 006 Don’t see your suburb? Ring us, we most likely still cover it.
- Lane Cove
- Lane Cove North
- Lane Cove West
- Longueville
- Riverview
- Northwood
- Greenwich
- Linley Point
Call 0421 959 006 Don’t see your suburb? Ring us, we most likely still cover it.
- Mosman
- Balmoral
- Beauty Point
- Clifton Gardens
- Georges Heights
- Spit Junction
Call 0421 959 006 Don’t see your suburb? Ring us, we most likely still cover it.
- Gordon
- Pymble
- Turramurra
- St Ives
- Wahroonga
- Roseville
- Lindfield
- Killara
- Warrawee
- South Turramurra
Call 0421 959 006 Don’t see your suburb? Ring us, we most likely still cover it.
- Hornsby
- Waitara
- Normanhurst
- Thornleigh
- Pennant Hills
- Beecroft
- Cherrybrook
- Asquith
- Mount Colah
- Berowra
Call 0421 959 006 Don’t see your suburb? Ring us, we most likely still cover it.
Common questions
Community access
Is it one-to-one or a group?
Either. One-to-one gives you the choice of activity; groups cost less per hour because the worker is shared, and suit people who want the company. Plenty of people do both.
Who pays for the activity itself?
Your funding pays for the support worker’s time, not your entry ticket, coffee or lunch, those are ordinary living costs the NDIS does not cover. Workers cover their own.
Can you help with transport?
Yes. Whether it comes out of your transport funding or your Core budget depends on your plan, and we will explain which applies to you before we start.
Do I have to pick from a set list of activities?
No. If it is safe, lawful and something you want to do, we will work out how to support it.
Which part of my plan pays for this?
Two routes, and plans differ. Most commonly it is Core, Assistance with Social, Economic and Community Participation. Some plans instead fund Capacity Building, Increased Social and Community Participation, which is aimed at building a skill rather than just taking part. A few have both. Read us the plan and we will tell you which you have.
What is Innovative Community Participation?
A separate line item for less conventional supports, a mentoring arrangement, a skills-based project, something that is not a standard outing. If it appears in your plan it is worth using rather than letting it sit there unspent.
How big are the groups?
Small. Two or three participants to one worker for most outings, and we tell you the ratio before you book rather than after. One-to-one is always available if a group is not right.
Is community participation the same as my transport funding?
No, and this trips a lot of people up. Transport funding is for getting you places. Community participation pays for the worker who goes with you. Depending on your plan the travel itself may come from either, and we will work out which applies to you before we start.
Do you take self-managed and plan-managed participants?
Yes. Self-managed, plan-managed and NDIA-managed. If you’re not sure which you are, tell us and we can work it out from your plan.
How soon can support start?
It depends on the support and the hours you need. Call and we’ll give you a straight answer on availability rather than putting you on a list.
Can I meet the support worker before we start?
Yes, and we’d encourage it. Meet whoever would be supporting you before anything is signed. If the fit isn’t right, we find someone else.
What if I’m not on the NDIS yet?
That’s exactly what our NDIS Navigators do. Eligibility, evidence, the Access Request, all before you have any funding.
Are you a registered NDIS provider?
Yes, Thrive Ability Services is a registered NDIS provider.
I’m a support coordinator. How do I refer someone?
Use the referral form or call 0421 959 006. We’ll come back to you on capacity and likely start dates.
Also on the North Shore
Our other services
Talk to someone on the North Shore
One call, no obligation, no sales pitch. If we’re not the right people for you, we’ll say so, and tell you who might be.
Mon–Fri 9:00am–5:00pm · 11/82–86 Pacific Highway, St Leonards NSW 2065