We would like to welcome back our valued clients, friends and partners to another year that promises much excitement and change.
Taking a quick look back to 2018, it’s not hard to see why many organisations in the community sector are drawing a line in the sand and hoping 2019 will bring more favourable winds to push their ships towards better certainty and success. So, what can we expect in the next 12 months?
Well, even with a new disability system still in its infancy and an aged care sector at the centre of a Royal Commission, the light is starting to show at the end of the tunnel. How, you say?
Just like a bushfire can wipe out everything in single day, when you visit the same place a few months’ later, you’ll see regeneration; animals returning; and whole new ecosystems developing. Let’s take a closer look at what I’m talking about…
NDIS
There are two major signs that this monumental disability reform that began rolling out in 2016 is finally starting to lose its training wheels as it heads towards a self-regulated marketplace beyond 2020:
- The participants and providers themselves are starting to get it – how it works; where the opportunities are; what still needs work; and very importantly, that you can’t go into business and survive in this industry without having a solid foundation. These two groups are the foundation of the system, which means the government needs to keep helping them to more easily navigate the system.
- The new ‘parent’ for service providers, called the NDIS Commission (currently overseeing South Australia and New South Wales) is responsible for bringing the other states under the same roof. With Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory all about to make the same transition from 1 July, 2019, the Commission will have the oversight and control to guide the market where it needs to go.
Aged Care
Yes, the Royal Commission began in January 2019 and, let’s face it, we already know what’s coming. It won’t be pretty and will almost certainly hang a curtain of shame over Australia for years to come. This year we will see the true extent of what’s happened and how we have failed a generation of our most experienced, respected, knowledgeable, longest-living residents of this great country.
However, with failure comes learning. When the last ember has burnt, we know regeneration will follow. Maybe not tomorrow or the next day – but soon. This is an opportunity for us to acknowledge the past then recreate the future we want.
So, what’s Amergin’s focus for 2019? Quite simply, we want to continue doing what we’ve been doing since the beginning – help every organisation across the community sector be their very best, no matter how unpredictable the environment they operate in.
Our approach is very much about helping you understand so you know why it’s important (versus ‘here are the answers to the exam questions’). And this is important if you want to establish (and maintain) a strong foundation for the future. With innovative services like amerginhub transforming the landscape, we are making this a reality of every organisation operating across the country; and there’s much more to come.
We look forward to continuing our journey with you over the next 12-months and helping you take your organisation to the next level – wherever you are on your journey.