Building confidence, social connection and independence through food.
For NDIS Participants
Gain new life skills through our structured social engagement program.
Enjoy learning basic food and kitchen survival skills in a warm and inclusive social group - This innovative community activity is for NDIS participants who cannot attend formal vocational training or education courses.
Better Than Beans provides an easy-to-follow, structured social activity for young adults with a disability who require the assistance of a carer to help with basic daily living tasks.
We have built a service that is tailored to participants with extraordinary support needs to allow them to participate in the community. By building a supportive social group around participants, we help them develop confidence in the kitchen and confidence in daily life.
Our Core social participation program is highly structured and focuses on building routine, social connection and confidence through food preparation. Confidence gives our participants the courage to be more independent and autonomous.
At Better Than Beans every participant matters—and every small win in the kitchen is a step towards a more independent future.
We run every Saturday including during school holidays so there is always something to do on the weekend.
Our sessions are every Saturday from 10.30am to 1.00pm-ish.
We ask all participants to attend with a buddy.
This can be a family member or support worker
There is no charge for the participant's buddy to attend.
Our Program
What We Offer
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Relaxed-paced, structured social participation through food preparation - for young adults with a disability who cannot attend vocational education or training.
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Small social groups so no one is left behind. There is a limit of seven participants (plus carers) per class. (It's important you secure your place in the class.)
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We use simple language, short sentences and one-step recipe instructions to guide our participants through the step-by-step process of preparing and cooking a simple meal, snack or baked goodie.
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We use repetition, prompting and picture guides to help our students participate. Students can take their recipes home in their Better Than Beans recipe folder.
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Participants attend with their support worker or buddy who can provide one-on-one assistance. There is no charge for support worker or carer to attend.
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Attendees work through a structured social session - Learn to identify kitchen utensils for use in the meal preparation; wash, measure, chop, peel, sift, grate all ingredients for use and get involved in the cleaning and washing up afterwards.
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We use a rotating menu so that participants get to practise what they have learned. This helps to build familiarity which then develops confidence and leads to greater independence.
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There are quiet spaces outside the kitchen so our socialites can take a break away from the activity and other participants whenever they need.
Food and Kitchen Fundamentals
Gallery
