Community Care Options recognised at State Awards

04 Dec 2015

Community Care Options has been awarded the 2015 NSW Disability Industry Innovation Award for leadership in community partnerships and transformation for their community development and social inclusion projects.

 On Thursday 19th November the Hon. John Ajaka MLC, Minister for Disability Services presented the award to CEO Deb Ryan at Parliament House, as an acknowledgement of the organisation’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the broader community sector and in promoting positive community attitudes towards people with disability through marketing, awareness raising and education.

Community Care Options projects such as We Care Day and connectABLE have  brought together a range of community partners to build skills, understanding and confidence in making community activities inclusive and accessible. Deb Ryan CEO comments that ‘no one organisation can make widespread change in community perceptions and attitudes. It is only by working collaboratively and in partnership, by offering our knowledge and understanding to others that real change can occur.’

 The NSW Disability Industry Innovation Awards hosted annually by National Disability Services (NDS) and the Department of Family and Community Services, Ageing Disability and Homecare (ADHC), recognise and reward excellence and innovation. The awards encapsulate the importance of individuals and organisations having the courage to consider how they can improve and transform, the supports they provide to have a meaningful impact on people’s lives.

The environment of disability service provision is undergoing significant reform.  The introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) represents the single biggest reform to the funding and provision of disability services in a generation. ‘It’s an exciting time to be working in the disability sector’, says Deb ‘and indeed an honour to have our efforts and achievements recognised through this award’. ‘We will continue to focus on creative approaches that make a real difference to the empowerment of people with a disability and their experience of inclusion in our community.’

Community Care Options was also a winner at the NSW Business Chamber State Awards at Darling Harbour last week. ‘Taking out the Award for Excellence in Business Ethics was a great honour, particularly as we were up against tough competition from finalists in a range of business sectors’ says CEO Deb Ryan.

‘Ethical practice is extremely important to our business as we are often working with people who may be vulnerable due to age, dementia, disabilities. We work in people’s homes, this requires a high level of trust. I was very proud to represent Community Care Options at these awards but recognition indeed goes to our staff who demonstrate our values each and every day in the respect and care they show our clients’.