Hot Stuff: Braemar’s Chilli Sauce
The team at Braemar turned up the heat and developed their very own hot sauce using chillies grown at Farm Fresh – a social enterprise where produce is planted, grown hydroponically, and harvested by Scope’s supported employees.
Wara Katsiri, Site Manager at Farm Fresh, is a hot sauce enthusiast, so when one of our supported employees brought some in for him to try, it sparked an idea.
“I personally love hot sauce, and I noticed the one brought in was made locally, not far from us. That’s what triggered the idea to develop our own,” Wara said.
The supported employees decided to build new garden beds outside Farm Fresh to grow chillies, tending to them regularly to ensure a successful crop. It was an exciting opportunity and a fun way for employees to improve their skills… and their green thumbs.
“Most of our employees got involved and they really enjoyed the process,” Wara said. “They got to start with the garden beds and look after the plants – they were hands-on from start to finish.”
Harvesting the haul
The chillies were ready to harvest over the new year, and Wara reached out to the local chilli sauce manufacturer to see if they were interested in helping Braemar develop their own sauce. Their response? “Bring it on!”.
The team delivered the chillies to the local manufacturer and, hey presto, the Scope-branded hot sauce was born.
“I give credit to our people. They were so excited – from growing the plants from seed, to providing the harvest to the sauce maker, then on to the selling phase,” Wara said.
The chilli sauce is now being sold alongside Braemar’s microherbs at an employee market in Kingsgrove once-a-month, giving employees and supported employees a chance to improve their sales skills too.
As for the next step at Farm Fresh, the team has planted lemongrass to make a salad dressing, and Warra says the next product will be parsley pesto.
“The ultimate goal is to secure a stall at a local market to sell our herbs and sauce products!”
A better understanding of client complex needs
An important area of focus for Scope is improving the lives and wellbeing of clients with complex disability and health-related support needs, particularly as they age.
The Complex Care project was conducted throughout 2023-24 and involved a team of experienced Registered Nurses visiting every Supported Independent Living (SIL) home at Scope. While there, our nurses:
- Undertook comprehensive assessments of clients’ health status and needs.
- Reviewed existing health plans.
- Supported SIL team members in navigating the health system.
- Liaised with health service providers to obtain necessary assessments, reviews, and health support plans for 1,352 clients.
Using the detailed information gathered and working closely with our Registered Nurses, we have created two innovative tools to help improve health outcomes for the people we support.
- Health system navigation tools: To assist in coordinating clinical advice from multiple health providers and translating this advice into easy-to-understand language for caregivers.
- Health Monitoring Tools: The use of pulse oximetry, thermometers, and a basic observation chart to enable workers to better assess and monitor clients’ health deterioration and communicate effectively with healthcare professionals. This improved response times significantly when urgent care was needed.
These initiatives, alongside establishing tailored training programs for staff managing clients with complex health related conditions, means our team is better-equipped to deliver timely and appropriate support, resulting in better health outcomes for clients with complex needs in SIL settings.
The positive impact of this work in delivering timely and preventive healthcare for our clients, as well as the professional development and support for our staff, has led Scope to integrate a Clinical Practice stream into our Quality, Safeguards and Practice support function. This ensures ongoing governance and support to enhance health outcomes for our clients.
This model of support is industry-leading and we’re receiving regular requests to speak to its workings and outcomes in a variety of forums across the disability sector.
We’re grateful to the Estate of Leonard Rogers which made the development and delivery of this project possible.
This work produced the following findings:
Complex Health Issues
90% of SIL clients have at least one complex health issue or high intensity support need.
Swallowing Difficulties
60% of SIL clients have difficulty swallowing and require a mealtime management plan.
Non-Verbal Communication
At least 30% of SIL clients are non-verbal and communicate in other ways.
Client informed service delivery
Scope’s Client Advisory Panel (CAP) is the main representative body for Scope clients.
Comprising a diverse group of people with disability, the CAP plays a crucial role in amplifying the voice and perspectives of those using Scope services. Panel members inform Scope’s planning, strategy, and decision-making in a safe and supportive environment.
Members are appointed for a two-year term and participate in six meetings annually. These meetings are chaired by a CAP member selected by their peers. Scope’s Client Experience Team provides continuous support, training, and development opportunities to CAP members, ensuring they can continue to increase their confidence and impact over time.
Since its formation in March 2023, the CAP has been actively involved in various consultations and co-design activities, making significant contributions to many key projects and initiatives, including:
- Scope Disability Action Plan
- Scope Strategic Plan 2024-2028
- Scope Human Rights Policy
- Sexual Health and Wellbeing Procedure
- Scope Advertising Campaign
- Animals in Service Protocol
- Complaints and Feedback Process
The CAP’s activities are reported regularly to the Scope executive Leadership Team and the Board, the latter through the Client Experience and Outcomes Committee. Members of the CAP have also presented to the Scope Board and at Scope’s Annual General Meeting.
The Scope Board and Executive Leadership Team takes a keen interest in the activities of the Panel, with some Board and Executive members attending CAP meetings regularly.
The Client Advisory Panel gives us an important opportunity to communicate with Scope and have our say. By working with Scope, we can help ourselves and others improve the experiences and services we receive. I think it is great that Scope truly wants to make decisions with us, as people who use their services.
Gloria, Client Advisory Panel Chair
A core value for Scope is to… ‘excel together in all that matters to our clients and colleagues.’
This is embodied in the work of the CAP. Through their lived experiences, active participation, and their generous volunteering of time over the course of the year, CAP members have contributed to meaningful changes and improvements within the organisation.
Scope recognises the invaluable role and input of our clients in creating an environment in which they can they thrive.
Before the Client Advisory Panel, I didn’t think people with disability had a voice.
Jacqui, CAP Member
I can actually say what I feel without being afraid.
Nicole, CAP Member
