The Benevolent Society, Australia’s first charity, is now the largest provider of clinical and allied health services for people with disability in NSW.
The Department of FACS (Family and Community Services) selected The Benevolent Society as the provider for NSW’s disability clinical and allied health services, after an extensive process of consultation with people with disability and their families.
“This is a significant step towards our vision to help all Australians live their best lives” CEO Jo Toohey said.As a result of the coming together of the two organisations, The Benevolent Society has opened four main Sydney hubs and a number of rural offices across NSW, in order to provide the best outcomes for clients. These new offices mean The Benevolent Society now has a presence in many new regions to deliver services and impact clients in three areas of focus: disability, ageing and family support.Adds Ms Toohey:
“We are committed to providing as many Australians as we can with support so that they can live their best lives. We deliver services to support families, people with disability and older Australians to reach the goals that are important for them. And, as we have for more than 200 years, we continue to advocate for social justice and change so that all people get a fair go.”Additionally, The Benevolent Society has transitioned to a new way of working.Ms Toohey continues, “Our staff will be much more mobile, providing assistance wherever it’s convenient for our clients. This is particularly helpful in rural areas and service hubs that ensure people receive the support they need and want.“Because we’re doubling in size in terms of both staff members and clients, we’ve upgraded or refurbished existing sites or moved to new sites pretty much across the state. This is to provide better working conditions for our staff members, offering them locations that are convenient as well as easier access for our clients."
“We believe that that taking on disability clinical and allied health services – the 700 staff and 7,000 clients – will create a much stronger Benevolent Society and thus enable us to increase accessibility to services for more Australians,” added Ms Toohey. “We want to be held up as a model of great practice and leadership and demonstrate the positive outcomes of the impact we have on clients’ lives.