About Us
About Nisansala Special Traning Center
Introduction To Brothers Of Charity Nisansala Services
In setting up the Sri Lanka Mission in the early 1990s the objective of the Provincial Council of St Joseph’s Province was clearly not to try to set out to meet the support needs of every person with a learning disability in Sri Lanka. The aim was to provide supports to individuals and families that would be in line with the local culture and with best international practice. This was to be achieved through enriching the personal life of each individual that was supported by offering real choice and real control over their own lives and by showing love and respect in our every action as inspired by the Christian Gospels. In this way it was felt that the service would be able to provide concrete examples of best practice in a Sri Lankan environment. The Regional Team of St Joseph’s Region has consistently complimented the Nisansala Services Management Team for their success in achieving these aims to date and encourages them to continue to pursue these goals by assuring them of an on-going commitment to support them in doing so.
First Steps - Day & Residential Services On The Tudella Site
Brother Peter Sheehy(R.I.P.) and his fellow Brothers established the first day and residential Services on the Tudella site for a number of adults with low to moderate support needs in the newly constructed building at Tudella in the early 1990s. They ensured from the beginning that they gave practical witness in their work to the spirit and values of the Congregation.
Diversifying In The Community – Providing Models Of Best Practice
Since then the Management Teams, led by Brother Gregory Boyle and more recently by Lucian Ranasinghe, have gradually and professionally expanded the remit to include early intervention, preschool and school age services as well as vocational training, social enterprise and coaching in the skills of daily living. The emphasis has shifted away from residential and towards providing support to families in facing the daily challenge of ensuring that their family member with a learning disability is facilitated in living as full a life as possible in his or her local community. At all times, however, the spirit and values of the Brothers of Charity have been maintained and actively promoted throughout the Services. In the midst of the many needs crying out to be heard the objective is to maintain the focus where it should be by continuing to demonstrate, in a culturally appropriate way, new and simple ways of supporting people with different levels of support need in line with best international practice.
Building The Confidence & Competence Of Families
Nisansala Services have an important mission in helping to build the confidence and competence of parents and members of extended families in meeting the support needs of their family member with a learning disability. Provision is made for parent meetings and courses from time to time that help in this development. Families need encouragement and help to develop the skills to advocate effectively for their own support needs and for the support needs of their family member with learning disability at the local, regional and national levels. When they are made aware of the many different ways they can help the Services to support persons with learning disability, families tend to make a more effective contribution at the appropriate levels.