OC Connections warmly welcomes Geoff Deacon to the role of Senior Support Coordinator.
With more than 35 years of lived family experience, Geoff is very familiar with people living with disability including neurological disorders like Motor Neuron Disease (MND) and other conditions like Muscular Dystrophy, ASD and Psychosocial / PTSD.
Before coming to OC Connections Geoff worked with the NDIA as a delegate and planner during the Victorian rollout. During this time he worked closely with Local Area Coordinators (LAC’s) in a project focused on improving planning and led work that supported younger people in residential care achieve greater choice and control in using their NDIS supports.
Geoff played a significant part in the rollout of NDIS across Victoria and Tasmania, with many stakeholder groups, individuals, forums and NDIS information sessions between 2018 and 2021. During this time he held the Victorian/Tasmanian CALD (Cultural and Linguistically Diverse) and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander portfolios and worked closely with Local, State and National advocacy bodies. One of his biggest challenges was delivering the NDIS consultations and presentations on a virtual platform.
Interestingly, some of Geoff’s earlier posts were with Parks Victoria in the Melbourne Bushfire Protection program where he worked closely with the community after Black Saturday on future bushfire preparedness. He is also ex CFA (30 year volunteer and 15 years on staff) having worked in numerous roles including: Community Education Coordinator, Public Information Officer and Warnings and Advice Officer. He had extensive involvement with the community during Black Saturday and with a team, he delivered more than 250 community meetings.
In his new role with OC Connections, Geoff is particularly excited about working with NDIS participants to maximise their outcomes from their NDIS plans. “My NDIS background provides a good foundation to help participants to effectively use their plans and better understand the NDIS.”
He sees the role of Support Coordinator as a complex one that is a vital link to participants, their journey and the opportunity to lead an ordinary life.
“My own families journey with disability has given me a strong motivation to work in the field. I hope to use my understanding from a family’s perspective, my knowledge of the NDIS and my extensive engagement experience, to assist others in the sector. I am driven by a passion to strive for equity for all and the opportunity for everybody to reach their personal goals in life. I have supported my wife, my children and two of my grandchildren with their disabilities. Ensuring that they have the opportunity to set and reach their goals is very important for me.”
Geoff is also passionate about his local community. He is a member of the Knox Disability Advisory Committee who provides Council with advice on issues that impact the lives of people with disability. He is also an active participant of the Knox Active Aging Committee.
Geoff says he is looking forward to supporting his OC Connections colleagues, Donna and Jade, and developing his knowledge and skills. He is keen to ensure OC Connections is highly respected as a support coordination provider.
With 11 grandchildren, we wonder how Geoff has time for work! He always finds time for a good dad joke though. During the extended lockdown in 2020, he took a challenge to share 10 dad jokes a day with his Facebook friends – he managed this with ease! Geoff is a keen fisherman and “tinkerer” with a huge man cave full of treasures (too many treasures according to his wife :)) where he loves to restore and bring new life to old machinery.
Find out more about OC Connections Support Coordination
