Is your teen or young adult ready to take the next step toward greater independence?
Movement Five respite stays provide a structured and supportive environment where people with disability can actively build and practise independent living skills. Away from the family home, participants are given the opportunity to develop confidence, responsibility, and practical life skills that translate into everyday independence.
Our stays are tailored to each individual and may focus on areas such as self care, personal hygiene, grocery shopping, meal preparation, household management, budgeting, and daily routines. Practising these skills in a supported but realistic environment allows habits to form and understanding to deepen.
Our Respite Options:
Movement Five offers emergency respite, weekend stays, and Short Term Accommodation (STA) for both new and existing clients. We understand that some stays may be planned while others may arise unexpectedly. Our team is committed to providing flexible, responsive support tailored to the needs of each participant and their family.
Respite stays can take place at:
- Our welcoming home in Coolangatta at Shoalhaven Heads
- Our HQ house at Lake Illawarra
- External accommodation arranged to suit individual needs
As part of our onboarding process, we complete an initial introduction to ensure the participant is the right fit for our services and that the chosen accommodation is comfortable, appropriate, and accessible.
Building Independent Living Skills During Respite
Each respite stay is individualised based on the participant’s goals, strengths, and areas for growth. Below are examples of skills that can be developed during a Movement Five stay.
Meal Planning and Preparation
Meal preparation is viewed as a full skill building process, not just cooking. Participants are supported through every step including:
- Planning mealsÂ
- Researching recipes
- Writing shopping lists
- Grocery shopping
- Preparing and cooking meals
- Cleaning up
Support is adjusted to meet the participant at their current level, with gradual reduction in assistance to promote independence.
Financial Literacy/Budgeting
Budgeting skills can be naturally incorporated into respite stays. This may include managing grocery budgets, understanding spending choices, or reviewing income and expenses.
Whether learning through practical food shopping or working through broader financial planning, supports are tailored to suit the individual’s goals and developmental stage.
Applying Regulation Skills in a New Environment
Staying away from home provides valuable opportunities to practise regulation strategies in a different setting.
Movement Five HQ includes:
- A dedicated Reset Room with sensory equipment
- A large backyard with sporting equipment
- Close access to the beach
- A park directly opposite
These resources allow participants to practise self regulation, manage transitions, and apply coping strategies in real life situations.
Self-care and Personal Hygiene
Respite stays provide structured opportunities to practise:
- Showering
- Dressing
- Toileting routines
- Shaving
- Applying deodorant
- Managing hair (brushing, styling)
Support is provided at an appropriate level to encourage skill development while maintaining dignity and autonomy.
Laundry
Participants are supported to complete their own laundry, including:
- Using washing machines correctly
- Measuring detergent
- Monitoring washing cycles
- Hanging clothes out promptly
- Bringing washing in when dry
- Participants are also supported to wash and remake their own bedding at the conclusion of their stay.
Making Beds
Daily bed making and changing sheets are incorporated into routines to reinforce responsibility and daily living habits.
Household Cleaning
Participants engage in general household responsibilities such as:
- Vacuuming
- Wiping surfaces
- Tidying shared spaces
- Cleaning bathrooms
- Taking out rubbish
Support may include modelling, verbal prompts, visuals, checklists, or step by step instruction depending on the individual’s needs.
Establishing Healthy Routines and Habits
Respite stays allow routines to be intentionally structured. This may include:
- Set wake times
- Scheduled community outings
- Allocated times for domestic tasks
- Consistent evening routines
Time management and responsibility naturally develop within this structure.
Goal setting sessions can also be incorporated, where participants reflect on their strengths, review goals, and practise stress management techniques such as breathing exercises, grounding, or meditation.
How Movement Five Provides Support:
Movement Five support workers are experienced and complete training alongside an Occupational Therapist. This strengthens their understanding of skill acquisition, teaching strategies, and regulation based support.
We prioritise strong, respectful relationships. Building trust and connection is foundational to successful goal attainment and long term independence.
Where possible, support workers who already know the participant are allocated to respite stays. For emergency respite, a meet and greet is arranged beforehand to support rapport and comfort.
Both respite locations include:
- Instructional visuals to support skill development
- Checklists to clarify expectations
- Fully equipped kitchens, laundry facilities, living areas, bedrooms, and outdoor spaces
Our client coordinators regularly communicate with Behaviour Support Practitioners, Speech Pathologists, Psychologists, and Occupational Therapists where required. This ensures alignment across therapeutic goals and daily supports.
Support workers can implement therapy strategies during respite and provide meaningful feedback on progress, strengths, and areas for growth.
Supporting Independence with Confidence
At Movement Five, we create safe and structured environments where independence is practised, not just discussed.
Our goal is to build confidence, life skills, and self belief while ensuring participants feel supported, respected, and understood.
If you would like to learn more about respite options or discuss how we can support your family, contact Movement Five today.