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Finding purpose through work by Priya Singh
Work at Camphill helps residents build skills, confidence and independence while finding meaning and purpose. With support from staff and occupational therapy, residents are matched with suitable work and encouraged to take pride in what they do.
- Where
- Camphill Village West Coast
Finding purpose through work by Priya Singh
Camphill Village’s ethos is to provide a safe working and living environment for our residents, people with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities. At Camphill, our focus is on how our residents may grow their abilities through their work in our various enterprises. These work opportunities also facilitate self-actualisation. Residents are able to develop skills, confidence and knowledge in a supportive environment.
As the OT at Camphill, part of my role is to facilitate the integration of residents into their working environments. This involves matching their level of mental and physical function and skill to the appropriate job tasks. We also take into consideration that some may have previously experienced a level of marginalisation, alienation or stigma. We help combat this by creating a culture of inclusivity, consideration and cohesion.
We have the biggest respect for how much pride our residents take in their work. I, personally, am in awe of how our residents adapt to the scorching heat of the summer months, and the Scotland-like winters on our farm. Despite these sometimes-overwhelming conditions, our residents’ dedication to their work remains steadfast and may even supersede that of those in the open-labour market.
At Camphill, we create opportunities for residents to work and to find meaning and purpose. However, without the tireless support of our all our staff in our care and farm components, as well as the perseverance of our residents, these opportunities would not be as fruitful. The saying “it takes a village” epitomises what makes Camphill Village such a unique and beautiful place to live and work.