One in five Australians have disability. Wesley Mission offers people with disability a wide range of services to improve their wellbeing and independence. We’re a registered provider under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and our support is shaped by the goals of the people we work with, such as finding a job, trying a new hobby, studying or moving out of home.
A pathway to independence
Journeying alongside people to reach their goals is what drives us to do all the good we can. Whether it’s supporting people to take steps towards securing a job, empowering people with disability to make their own choices towards independence or helping children to grow in their creativity and individuality, we’re fuelled with hope for the future.
Expanding group homes for young people and young adults with disability
No matter life’s challenges, we’re here to help our clients thrive. In 2017/18, we successfully opened a group home in western Sydney to cater for young people under the age of 18. This home met a critical need for these clients who are too young to live in an adult disability group home but can no longer be supported at home with their families.
This year saw the opening of another group home in Sydney’s Inner West to support young adults, offering a new opportunity for our clients to live with their similarly aged peers.
Wesley Disability Services offers 24/7 care within these homes, putting in place tailored supports to help these young people and young adults achieve the goals they have for their lives. On a day-to-day basis we support these clients with self-care, relationship building, and activities to build their confidence, independence and overall wellbeing.
Successful transition of all clients to the NDIS
We’re passionate about supporting people with disability to achieve their life goals. We’ve completed the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) rollout in NSW and we’re providing services to 463 clients. Under the NDIS, disability services operate in a consumer driven marketplace where people with disability control their own funding and are empowered to make their own choices. We continue to work closely with our clients and to advocate for them as they navigate the new scheme.
As part of the NDIS rollout changes, we successfully applied for and achieved NDIS registration, a new requirement to secure funding for our disability services. We also implemented new quality frameworks to remain compliant.
Passion that lasts the distance
David Morgan Centre is more than just a workplace. Filled with some of the longest-serving Wesley Mission workers, it’s a dedicated community who count each other as family.
As part of Wesley Employment Services, David Morgan Centre offers employment and training opportunities for people with disability to develop their skills, contribute to the workforce and enjoy positive social interactions in a warm and welcoming environment.
An important part of the David Morgan Centre team, Terry reached his 45-year milestone this year, making him the longest-serving Wesley Mission employee to date.
Terry’s supervisor and Wesley Employment Services NSW Operations Manager, Rick said, “Terry likes a chat, always keen to work and is just one of those genuine workers. He is a great personality to have in the workplace that lifts everyone’s spirits. He really wears his long-service as a badge of honour.”
One of the reasons why Terry loves working for Wesley Mission is
his alignment with our organisation’s Christian faith. He devotedly attends a Wesley Mission congregation with other David Morgan Centre employees.
This year we introduced a new corporate volunteering venture,
Pick n’ Pack with Care, which gives corporates the opportunity to work alongside David Morgan Centre employees. Our corporates spend a day with workers like Terry, fostering friendships and helping our workers to continually develop their social skills.
Growth that safeguards our future
We take our responsibility seriously to provide safe and high-quality care for those most in need. We’re continually strengthening our systems, technology and processes to improve the way we support our people. We’re ensuring we remain up-to-date with the rigorous governance structures for transparency and accountability across Wesley Mission.
Centralised roster centre supports more people in need
Wesley Mission clients receiving home care and disability services are benefiting from a new roster centre. Our centralised rostering hub places our people at the forefront to ensure they receive stable and reliable services.
We offer home care for older people and those transitioning out of hospital. We also care for people with disability at both an individual level and within group homes. Our clients live in regional, suburban and urban areas across NSW, from the Mid-North Coast, Hunter region and Central Coast to North Sydney and CBD to Western Sydney and out to the Blue Mountains, along with southern Sydney and down to the Illawarra.
Prior to the roster centre, Wesley Mission staff were spread across five sites. Now located at one site in Blacktown, our rostering process is streamlined, allowing us to offer support to more clients in a shorter timeframe.
Bringing 17 staff together under one roof has enabled the workload to be shared amongst our 500 accessible care workers. If a care worker is unavailable, we can now engage a care worker from a different geographic region. By sharing the workload with neighbouring regions, we hope to reduce our reliance on external sub-contractors.
“The benefits for the staff being in one place is to have that sense of team,” said Leigh, Business Admin Team Leader, Wesley Home & Residential Care.
Committed to strengthening our shared future
Throughout 2018/19 we grew our services, built new systems, improved our processes and supported more people who are most in need.
In 2019/20 we’ll continue to innovate, responding to opportunities to care and connect with more people, providing services to meet the entirety of their needs.
Increased support for young people with multiple needs
In 2019/20, we’re launching a new program to deliver intensive therapy care that will provide tailored accommodation to young people living in out-of-home care who are also living with disability.
Drawing on the expertise and capabilities of both Wesley Dalmar and Wesley Disability Services, we’re aiming to provide more support to young people by establishing Wesley Mission houses designed to deliver support that caters for individual needs.