Activating your cafe
Become a part of our Activated Mentoring program!
Do you have some quiet spots in your weekly café trade?
Why not use that time to provide a growth experience for someone with a disability while you generate some extra revenue for your business?
Supported by NDIS funding, we coordinate and send candidates to your site, and provide guidelines for activiates that they can enjoy with you and your staff.
Our clients form relationships with café staff and become a part of the team, joining them behind the counter to bake, run plates and clear, serve customers, and more.
As an Activated Mentor, we can provide you standard mentoring remuneration of
$60 per 90-minute session ($40 per hour) for hosting our clients.
Make a difference in someone's life while boosting your café's social impact.
Contact us today to discuss getting involved!
What is Activated mentoring?
What is Activated Mentoring?
Meeting Place MV established Activated Mentoring in 2019 to provide individuals with disabilities in our community with opportunities to develop social skills, self-esteem, and community engagement in a commercial environment. Through the program, our clients form relationships with cafe staff and become part of the team, working behind the counter to learn various skills such as baking, plate running, serving customers, and even barista skills.
The program is fully funded by the NDIS, providing clients with opportunities they may have never had before. The results have been remarkable, with many clients thriving in their newfound roles as part of a team.
Our commitment to uplifting our community's less fortunate through the Activated Mentoring program was recognized when we were awarded Best Small Business at the South Australian Community Achievement Awards in 2019, and Director Mark Potter was named Onkaparinga Council's Citizen of the Year for 2021/22.
While not the primary motivator for running the program, we are proud of the social esteem it has brought to our cafe, resulting in committed patronage and support from our local community.
FREQ Asked questions
What is Peer Mentoring?
How does Activated Mentoring differ?
How does Activated Mentoring differ?
Peer mentors are strong and passionate individuals, equipped to help participants with their NDIS goals.
A peer mentor's objective is to be a positive role model who can help participant community interaction and encourage them to make positive choices now and in the future.
How does Activated Mentoring differ?
How does Activated Mentoring differ?
How does Activated Mentoring differ?
More than just "playing shops", our clients work with cafe staff to across a broad array of roles, with plenty of opportunity to get involved in the greater operations of the Cafe.
This can include visits to the supermarket, cooking and baking, serving customers, cash handling, learning the valuable skill of barista, or can be as simple as chatting about their week over a muffin and a cuppa.
Who are the clients?
How does Activated Mentoring differ?
Your staff as Mentors
Our clients face mild disabilities, such as ASD (autism spectrum disorder) or Acquired Brain Injury, which have limited their ability to gain real-world experiences.
By stepping behind your counter, working with your team and interacting with your community, clients build their self-esteem, develop essential skills and increase their potential for future employment.
Clients often attend sessions at your cafe in an ongoing fashion (weekly or fortnightly), developing meaningful relationships with both staff and regular customers.
Your staff as Mentors
Your staff as Mentors
Hospitality professionals possess the qualities of excellent mentors as they have great people skills and are dedicated to fostering a sense of community in their workplace.
If you have ever had a work experience student, you can easily provide activated mentoring for our clients.
We offer guidance and a list of activities suitable for the client's abilities, allowing you to create an enjoyable and stimulating experience for them during their session with you.
What do you need to get going?
To offer Activated mentoring at your Cafe,
you require standard Public Liability Insurance, employees who possess strong interpersonal skills and empathy, and a flexible schedule that allows for client engagement during specific periods.
We oversee the screening of potential clients to ensure suitability, schedule their sessions, confirm your availability to host them, arrange their transportation to and from your location and ensure that they have any futher supports required to ensure a successful session.
Fully funded
Our Activated Mentoring service functions similarly to other disability mentoring businesses, with sessions funded entirely through the candidate's NDIS program.
Having engaged the client and assessed their suitability for the program, we match them to your Cafe and then work closely with their support coordinators and plan managers to coordinate funding. Once the session concludes, both you and the client confirm its success, and we provide you with your payment.