Our People
NWDS has a strategy of a Triple Bottom Line that includes the following:
1. The Participants with a disability and their carers we serve
2. The Staff and Volunteers we employ and engage
3. The Community and Environment we function within
Our Staff and Volunteers are vital to the effective running of NWDS and their support, training and nurturing is just as important as the effective, conscientious and diligent support of our participants. Our people therefore encompasses not just out participants but also our staff and volunteers and students who enable us to do the valuable and positive work we perform within our community. Our people and their opportunity to flourish in their lives is the focus of all that we do at NWDS. We know that without the quality support team at NWDS we would not be able to achieve the goals, dreams and community engagement that our participants choose NWDS to make happen for them.
We encourage people from all sectors and diverse parts of our community to join our team and help us to build a world and environment that we are all excited to be engineers of and proud to say “we helped to make that happen”. We are open to suggestions, recommendations and ideas that will open NWDS up more and we inspire our people to be proactive, innovative and self determining to enable NWDS to be the vehicle through whish they are able to dream the dream and achieve it for all.
The NWDS family also needs a Volunteer Board of Directors to keep the governance of NWDS at the very best it can be. This requires an extensive cross section of skills and attributes as well as 50% of the board to be representative of our participants and carers. Board members also agree to undertake a high level governance training course and extensive onboarding that includes a 1 to 2 year period at Sub-Committee level, engagement with the NWDS team and current Board members and thorough orientation and introductory sessions conducted by the Chair, Treasurer and CEO. The Board meets 6 times a year and also conducts up to 4 Strategic Meetings yearly to ensure the focus is on strategy and defines the clear boundary between management and Governance of NWDS.
Ex-Officio’s and Sub Committee Representatives are also a vital component of the governance system at NWDS as they contribute with expertise in many areas that include “Insurance and Workers comp”, Legalities, Finance, WHS, HR , Construction and Compliance. The sub-committee members also have a period to “get to know how we do things around here” and contribute their skills to provide a more reflective input into many discussions and decision making that represents community and our participants and carers.
Our NWDS family is also guided by our Patron Jim Taggart who is a patron who is also engaged effectively by acting as Returning Officer at our AGM, and MC’s the yearly NWDS Awards day. Jim is also often called upon to facilitate high level discussion and acts as a “Community Connector” ensuring we are engaged with many levels of government, Local Councils that business to keep us embedded fully in our community.
The “Friends of NWDS” are a group of varied individuals who know and believe in the NWDS Concept, Vision and Goals. They link with NWDS in a great many ways and provide valuable connection and material and technical support that enables reduction in costs, fundraising and expertise beyond the skills of the other NWDS team. They often contribute many hrs and financial support’s across many points of engagement.