Next Door Support
Promoting Individuality & Independence
About
Next Door Support is a support work service here to help anyone needing regular or once-off assistance. We take pride in our ability to help you achieve your short and long-term goals while being respectful and understanding during the process. We aim to celebrate your individuality while fostering a sense of independence so that you can learn, grow, and apply these skills to all aspects of your life.
Next Door Support was founded by Sebastien Hetzel, who has been supporting families since 2015. Sebastien began working in Montessori-based childhood education in 2018. He implemented an independence-focused mindset into his support work after seeing the benefit of the teaching philosophy.
At Next Door Support, we want to positively impact the greater Brisbane community by matching NDIS participants with independent support workers specifically catered to you.
Next Door Social
Next Door Social has been created to assist neurodivergent people. It is a place to meet and enjoy spending time together each week. This group is centred around playing games while learning about the unwritten rules of social relationships, in a positive and safe environment.
In this group people have opportunities to explore and embrace neurodiversity in an open, supportive environment. People are provided with occasions to see neurodiversity as a culture and are encouraged to develop their interests, talents and social abilities.
Next Door Social aims to provide opportunities to make social connections and possibly close friendships. This is a unique experience for those who have been isolated and excluded at school and in the community. Experience has shown that when attending these groups, they can meet people like themselves and they can help and encourage each other to be successful.
Sebastien Hetzel
Founder of Next Door Support
Co-founder of Next Door Social
Before discovering his passion for support work, Sebastien Hetzel studied a Bachelor of Music majoring in the discipline of jazz drums. Post studies he found a job in after school care and pursued a career in early childhood education, also working in a childcare centre. Both of these workplaces implemented the Montessori ideology, which inspired the independence mindset Sebastien fosters in his work.
As well as his experience in early childhood education, Sebastien is the oldest of 5 siblings and has taken on a role model figure from an early age. This has helped him in his support work to be able to make connections, be a positive influence and implement plans to achieve his clients’ short and long term goals.
Next Door Support was started to provide a community where people can achieve their goals while being celebrated for their individuality. Along with Journey Guide’s Kathleen West, Sebastien started an initiative called Next Door Social, a community event where neurodivergent people can make social connections in a safe and accepting environment.
Kathleen West
Founder of Journey Guide
Co-founder of Next Door Social
Kathleen West is passionate about ensuring that young people who are neurodiverse (primarily those with High Functioning Autism) reach their true potential in life, career and in the social world. Kathleen has over 30 years of experience in primary, secondary and special education teaching and has completed a Master’s in Special Education; majoring in Autism. Kathleen enjoys living in a neurodiverse family and world.
In 2013 Kathleen created a social group for people with High Functioning Autism and evolved a structure that people involved loved. This first venture grew into multiple groups both in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast. Kathleen left in 2018 due to family needs but is returning to continue assisting people to realise what is in their ‘realm of possibilities’ in many aspects of their life.
In these groups the young people are taught about being and embracing neurodiversity. They are shown that neurodiversity is its own culture, a unique way of seeing and interpreting the world and are encouraged to exploit their interests and talents. Kathleen knows that in order for people to be successful, in the broader community, they need to learn and understand the unwritten rules of social relationships and have an opportunity to practice these skills. The social groups provide this environment and, most importantly, an opportunity to make true and maybe lifelong friends. This can be rare for people with Autism as they are usually isolated and excluded at school and in the community. However, when they attend these groups, they meet people like themselves and they help and encourage each other to be successful.
Get In Touch
Please contact us for more information about finding a support worker, or enquiring about Next Door Social.
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