The Christmas decorations are out!  

I was somewhat alarmed to see some stores stocking Christmas decorations alongside their Halloween offerings recently. While I’m fairly sure they have probably been out since Easter (that might be a slight exaggeration), it did make me realise that the run-up to the end of the year is almost upon us. That certainly doesn’t mean the pace of change across the disability sector is showing any signs of slowing down.  

Announcements have been flowing thick and fast from the long-awaited news of a new Board Chair and CEO for the NDIA to significant changes in the ACT Government’s response to COVID. We are also expecting the Terms of Reference for the NDIS Review to be released any day.  

To try and make sense of the information flow and to identify the key concerns and issues currently facing the ACT sector, we held our Quarterly Forum on 29 September. It was a great morning with some fantastic speakers. A big thanks to all those who we able to attend, especially given the last minute date and venue change as a result of the national public holiday the week before. 

The final session of the day provided an opportunity for attendees to discuss key topics in small groups. It was fantastic to see this kind of close collaboration that has been missing for several years as we all moved online. Forming new connections and sharing ideas is critical to ensuring the sector continues to grow and strengthen through these uncertain times. Our next Forum will be held in December so stay tuned for details.  

The ACT Committee met recently and discussed a range of issues including housing, support coordination, COVID changes, and the outcomes of the recent NDS Member Survey. This is an incredibly rich source of information on what we do well and where we can improve to better represent members. Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the survey.  

I have really enjoyed getting out and about recently and meeting with members from across the city. We have an incredibly diverse membership, and it is fantastic to hear about the different services and supports on offer. If you would like to have a chat about what you are doing, please drop me an email or call on the number below, I’d love to hear from you.  

There are some great events coming up including the Contemporary Governance and Leadership Summit, National Communities of Practice and our Risk, Incidents and Complaints Management Workshops. We will also be holding our Annual CEO’s Meeting on 28 to 29 November in Sydney. I hope to see some of you there.