WE OFFER 24 HOUR, 7 DAYS A WEEK, 52 WEEKS A YEAR DISABILITY & MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE IN THE CENTRAL COAST & NEWCASTLE REGIONS

WHAT WE DO

Supporting People with Disabilities and Mental Health Concerns

You Connect (YC) is a not-for-profit organisation that supports people living with a disability across the regions of Newcastle, the Hunter Valley, the Central Coast, and Sydney.

We support people, from age 6, by providing a range of services, including disability support services, supported accommodation, and employment services.

We pride ourselves on being there as and when needed, offering services in capacity-building supports, community participation,
employment readiness, and housing.

We have been around for a while now, 30 years to be exact, and in that time,
we have learned firsthand how to provide meaningful support so that every person can achieve their goals.

We have been supporting people living with a disability for 13 years, providing assistance and supervision to participants in completing activities and daily tasks with dignity and safety.

You Connect proactively delivers person-centered services, upholding and respecting each individual’s rights to freedom of expression, self-determination, decision-making, and independence.

We ensure the participant is heard, their views are respected, and they feel safe and supported.

Our support workers are sensitive to and inclusive of the participant’s culture, diversity, values, and beliefs. We respect the participant’s autonomy

Our support workers and staff effectively communicate with participants and stakeholders using a person-centered approach to build and facilitate:

  • Trust and relationships

  • Self-worth and empowerment

  • Decision making

  • Expectations and goals of care

  • Advocacy

  • Safety and quality outcomes.

You Connect is committed to supporting all NSW Government procurement policies promoting sustainability on economic, ethical, environmental, and social levels

WHO WE ARE

At the heart of our organisation is our people.
We work hard to create a safe and inclusive environment for all our staff and to create opportunities
for all to excel.

A safe place to work
We are committed to creating a safe work environment

An inclusive place to work
We focus on making staff feel supported and valued. We are invested in treating everyone with respect and consideration.

Promoting equal opportunity
We value diversity and recognise the importance of our teams reflecting the communities we serve.

You Connect prioritises the professional and personal development of our staff, facilitating opportunities for career progression, skill development and further training. Our staff culture is one of mutual support, integrity and empowerment.

OUR EXECUTIVE TEAM

Claudia Devlin

Chief Executive Officer
Dip in Law, FCPA, MBA, BA

Kelly Irvine

Chief Financial Officer
BEc

MANAGEMENT TEAM

  • You Connect (YC) is a not-for-profit organisation that supports people living with a disability, have complex behaviours and/or have mental health diagnosis that impact their day-to-day functioning. You Connect was formerly known as Youth Connection

    Jackie Kemp

    Client Service & Centre Manager

  • Joshua Carew

    Operations Manager - Accommodation

  • Brooke Mills

    HR & Rostering Manager

SIL COORDINATORS

  • You Connect (YC) is a not-for-profit organisation that supports people living with a disability, have complex behaviours and/or have mental health diagnosis that impact their day-to-day functioning. You Connect was formerly known as Youth Connection

    Kylie Dibben

    Administrator

  • Michael Elloy

    SIL Coordinator (Newcastle)

  • Brenden Phillips

    SIL Coordinator (Complex Mental Health)

  • Helen Bliss

    SIL Coordinator

  • Kathlyn McCulloch

    SIL Coordinator

  • Kim Santi

    SIL Coordinator

  • Nicholas Kelly

    SIL Coordinator

OUR BOARD

  • You Connect (YC) is a not-for-profit organisation that supports people living with a disability, have complex behaviours and/or have mental health diagnosis that impact their day-to-day functioning. You Connect was formerly known as Youth Connection

    Belinda Neal

    Board Chair

  • We support people aged 6-40 by providing a range of services in capacity-building supports, community participation, employment readiness, and housing.

    Rob Lewis

    Director

  • Michael Griffiths

    Director

  • Cleveland McGhie

    Director

  • Daniel van der Heyden

    Director

 

OUR HISTORY

 

Celebrating 30 Years Of Service

You Connect first began operations in 1995 as a work placement provider. We did this by working with schools and local businesses to facilitate work placement opportunities for HSC students.

From little things, big things grow and over 30 years later we are still champions for youth, young people, and families and have expanded our supports to people with disability from ages 6 and up. 

We now deliver a wide range of services across the the regions of Newcastle, the Hunter Valley, the Central Coast and Sydney.

Over the years, we have assisted over 150,000 young people in a range of successful programs and supports. Whether it’s placing people in jobs, offering structured disability supports or providing accommodation to those most vulnerable in the community, we remain committed to supporting people with disability.