Teamwork is essential for any organisation. We can achieve more together as a team than we can as individuals working in isolation. The same is true of the disability sector as a whole, especially for a specialist provider like Interchange.

Interchange provides high quality community inclusion support for people with disability. But we don’t provide therapeutic, employment or group-accommodation services; rather, we focus on what we’re good at and then collaborate with other like-minded organisations to ensure our customers have the holistic support they require and deserve.

For example, Interchange is now working closely with Therapy Focus to achieve better outcomes for our mutual customers. And we are formalising other partnerships within the sector too, so individuals can choose what agency they want to provide what service without having to have all their eggs in one basket, as it were.

We believe this captures the intent of the planning process now being trialled by NDIS and DSC through the NDIS and WA NDIS. That is, individuals can use different service providers for delivering different services, but all under a single funding plan. That’s why it is so important for all agencies to work together as a team, for the benefit of the customer or client.

While I have noticed that a few larger organisations are using the new planning process to lock clients in to a single provider, I am generally pleased that most disability agencies are happy to work in collaboration with one another in service to the customer and not to their own bottom line.

Teamwork also requires good communication. It’s vital that all organisations be open about what they do and why they do it. Interchange is proud to continue to work collaboratively with other organisations, in order to deliver the best outcomes for our valued customers.

Wendel Bamford