Already we have had the opportunity to engage with a number of people and families seeking to work towards their preferred arrangement.  Our doors are always open and we welcome enquiries from people interested in pursuing real life outcomes.

CAM’ CAN is a creative, innovative response to the need for a real job

for a young man with a disability.

The Australian community prides itself on the fundamental value of “a fair go for all”

yet young people with disabilities find it difficult, if not impossible, to enjoy the

benefits of this basic social position.

People with disabilities in general find it difficult to gain meaningful employment yet

one in five Australians have a recognised disability. People who have profound

disabilities are under-represented in the Australian workforce yet they have the

potential to make a contribution and should be viewed as an untapped resource.

CAM’ CAN has been created by recognising the skills and interests of a

young man who deserves the chance of a real life. This unique business provides a

personal waiting service that removes the stress of waiting for unreliable tradesmen,

deliveries that don’t show up and installations that can only be done during the

working week. CAM’ CAN also attends to those small jobs that we all

simply don’t have time for – removing cobwebs, sweeping the driveway, cleaning the

car, weeding the yard. You name it and CAM CAN do it. (www.cam-can.com.au)

Why create a small business enterprise?

Cameron, the prioprietor of CAM’ CAN, is now 21 and like all young

people was unsure of what he would do when he left school. We, his parents, were

also perplexed as to what Cameron would/could do at the end of his school years.

Most people in Cameron’s life thought that he would leave school and attend a

sheltered workshop or maybe spend the rest of his life wandering around our

community aimlessly. We were told that Cameron was too challenging and that we

shouldn’t expect very much of him or for his future. We knew that Cam’s life was

worth much more!

Cam’s Support Crew

Three years before Cam finished school we decided that if left to “the system” Cam’s

life after school would more than likely take a turn for the worse. At that point there

were no recognisable friendships or relationships outside the family in Cam’s life.

We needed to do something urgently. We learned of the strategy of gathering a

small group of friends and family to assist their family member with a disability to

plan for their future. A circle of support, a circle of friends, a network; this idea takes

many names but its beauty is in its simplicity. Not the sort of people to shy away

from a challenge, we decided that this idea was exactly what we needed.

Initially we were apprehensive about asking others for help, however we needn’t

have been concerned because in the true Aussie spirit of a fair go for all, people

stepped in to be part of what we now call Cameron’s Support Crew. The Crew

consists of eleven people, some family and some friends. Not everyone had a

personal involvement with Cam when the Crew first gathered. Two people were

invited to join Cam’s crew because of the expertise they had which would be useful

in developing a small business. After meeting together every month, sometimes

twice a month during the first year, those people and Cam grew to know each other

well. Meetings are always kept to an hour with an emphasis on having fun!

One of the first and most important things developed by Cam’s Crew was a set of

guiding principles. These became the foundation upon which we checked every

decision made with Cam. Cam participates in each meeting and his responses taken

into account. Everyone on Cam’s Crew has equal authority. Each person has shared

and equal authority in making decisions including us as his parents. We have learned

that for Cam’s Crew to be totally effective we needed to share this responsibility and

trust in each other.

Over the past six years, Cam’s Crew have become much more than a group who

meet regularly. They have become like extended family to Cam. Each Crew member

has a family and Cam is now a part of each of those families and their friends.

Relationships continue to develop for him through these connections.

Development of CAM’ CAN – the small business enterprise

Amongst the agenda items of Cam’s Crew was the development of a business for

him to operate – the only preferred option given we did not want to see Cam’s life

wasted. The most important criteria was that a) it provide the opportunity for him

to develop relationships and become a valued contributing member of his

community b) the work be meaningful to him c) his skills could be further developed

and d) he would earn an income i.e. all the things that each of us would typically

want from a job.

The idea of a waiting service came about while we were undergoing renovations at

home. We were impatiently waiting for an appliance to be fitted and the

tradespeople insisted they could only come during the week. We had no remaining

annual leave to sit by and wait. It was then that Marc, Cams step father,

experienced the “Eureka” moment. Cam was sitting on the couch, again waiting

patiently which Marc recognised as being something that Cameron had done

perfectly well all his life. Cam waits for someone to help him with meals, for

assistance to dress, for people to pay attention to him – he has waited for everything.

Marc thought that we could build on Cam’s capacity to wait and took the idea to

Cam’s Support Crew who discussed how waiting could be turned into a small

business that would make sense to Cam and the rest of the world. Cam’s support

crew created CAM’ CAN – a personal waiting service

“Your time is my business”.

CAM’ CAN is run like any other small business – it now has a

coordinator, a website, business cards, flyers and promotional items that are left

with new customers after each job.

CAM’ CAN has now been operating for over two years and continues to

expand. Cam now has numerous customers as a result of return business from

customers of waiting services for whom he regularly washes cars, provides weeding,

yard tidy and watering services. He also has a contract filling vending machines one

day each week and works at the local yacht club providing boat washing and cleaning

services to the Power Boat section. Cameron also supports other vulnerable people

in his local community. Many associations have been developed with organisations

around Perth and business opportunities continue to grow. CAM’ CAN

will soon be providing services to customers of a major retail organisation in WA.

The Rewards

Cam’s Crew recognise that one of the major strengths supporting CAM’ CAN

are Cameron’s support workers. Great care is taken in appointing the

right people to support Cam in the work he does. Customers who engage CAM’ CAN

& Associates are very keen to support his business and are a wonderful source of

new customers as they make recommendations to others.

The greatest reward is seeing the changes in Cam since he stated his business.

Cameron is now a young man with responsibilities who is excited about his work. His

business provides him with the opportunity meet new people and engage in work he

enjoys. He stands tall and proud. Problematic behaviours from the past are no

longer an issue, he is happy, busy and earning an income. His life is not being

wasted. He has become a valued and contributing individual – the community is

finally giving him a fair go.