2017 has certainly been an exciting year as the NDIS transition continues. The Disability Trust has seen an increase in services provided to our existing participants who have continued to choose us as their preferred provider for their additional supports. We have also welcomed many new service users who have chosen The Trust as their NDIS provider for the first time. Keeping participants at the heart of what we do is very important and despite the challenges related to the NDIS transition itself we work very hard to smooth the way and support individuals and families through the process.

As always we seek to be a valuable partner to people with disabilities and their families into the future. The Disability Trust is now seen as one of the leading disability organisations in NSW and the ACT, supporting approximately 4500 service users and their families and employing over 1400 employees from Sydney in the north and down to the Victorian border. We now have over 1200 participants successfully transitioned into the NDIS.

The NDIS is, however, not without challenges. The administrative workload and need for attention to complex new systems is already being felt. I remain confident that this is not a step too far for an organisation like The Trust. We have at all levels wonderfully dedicated people. We have a smart and sharp administration system. We have built a new commercial business platform for operating in the NDIS. We have consistently sought to retain the special characteristics that make us unique and appreciated within the communities in which we operate. Finally we have the will to bring these core ingredients together and to demonstrate the hard work and commitment needed to “get things right”. We are also looking at strategic growth affording opportunity to our employees and helping us sustain a vibrant dynamic, client focused culture into the future.

A huge thank you to participants and families for continuing to put your trust in us. Thank you also to our amazing staff and management teams for your dedication and hard work to make the transition to the NDIS as smooth and seamless as possible for our participants. I know that our people are all “paddling madly under the water like ducks” to make it look easy when certainly it is not.

While sometimes the path forward may look a little bumpy the journey is an important one if we are to see people with disabilities attain a better future, one in which they have choice and control around how they live their lives. I look forward to all of us playing a positive part in bringing to fruition our vision of a more inclusive world.

Margaret Bowen
Chief Executive Officer