Annual Report
2023-24
Growing stronger together
Stregthe nig ou r Rot s
Welcome to our beautiful,
storyful Annual Report
Last year, we celebrated our 30th Anniversary, and our Annual Report
was filled with vibrant flowers. They symbolised the blossoming of
three decades of hope, hard work, and flourishing together — and the
joy of new beginnings.
This year, we’re standing tall, just like the tree on our cover. Those
deep, determined roots represent the foundation of our values —
reliability, care, and collaboration —
that have kept us grounded through
all seasons.
The strong tree trunk shows our
commitment to our principles, while
the spreading branches provide
shelter, illustrating our ongoing
mission to support, grow, and
continually reach out to do more.
As you read these pages, we hope the
many stories from our community of
Members, families, supporters and
staff will delight you and bring this
metaphor to life.
After all, Living My Way isn’t just one tree. Together we’re a forest.
Acknowledgement of Country
Living My Way acknowledges the Traditional
Owners of Country throughout Australia and
recognise their continuing connection to
land, waters and culture. We pay our respects
to their Elders past, present and emerging.
1 Jul 2023
Building
on our
foundations
Our commitment
to elevate new
and more
Member voices
kicks off.
1 Sep 2023
Core values
refresh
Members tell
us what they
think to help us
develop our new
values.
29 Sep 2023
Royal
Commission
Final Report
released
More spotlight
on disability
and new action
moving forward.
Nov 2023
Changes to
our Board
Say hello to our
new Company
Chair Huw,
and farewell to
Sanjeev who
retired after six
years of service.
1 Dec 2023
International
Day of People
with Disability
2023
Roundtable on
Disability: a new
space created
for louder voices,
with Members
and other
advocates.
7 Dec 2023
NDIS Review
Working together
to deliver the
NDIS
Groig
stroge
togehe
14 Dec 2023
New Milena
Morrow
Award
Created
to honour
Milena and
acknowledge
extraordinary
commitment
from others.
10 Jan 2024
Approved
for High
Intensity
Supports
We expand
our support to
Members
20 Jan 2024
Service
Planning
Team
transformed
New talent
and ideas in
our Member
contact team.
20 Feb 2024
New and
provocative
ideas
Guest blogger
Danny gets us
thinking.
4 Apr 2024
Farewell
Board Member
Richard steps
down.
24 Apr 2024
Business
Awards
Finalist
We are
recognised for
outstanding
community
service.
5 June 2024
NDIS mid-
term Audit
We are excited
to achieve such
positive results.
Chair’s message
Living My Way has always stood for
togetherness. Our Members remain at the
heart of everything we do, and it’s their
strength and resilience that inspire us to
keep improving.
I’m reminded every day of the significant difference
we made both in delivering reliable, quality care and
in advocating for lasting change. We've strengthened
our focus on providing reliable, high-quality support,
and building a stronger connection with the people
we work with. As we plan for our future, our strategy
is all about staying true to our values, making sure we
continue to grow and improve together.
Redefining our purpose, vision,
and values
One of the most significant changes we made this
year has been the redefinition of our Purpose, Vision,
and Values. It was a collaborative exercise with our
Members, team members and the Board and built a
strong, active connection between Living My Way and
the community of Members we serve. These powerful
statements remind us of the most important things
that unite us to care for each other, work together and
be there for one another and for those who need us
the most.
Looking forward: strategy for the future
Our next three-year strategy focuses on the
sustainability of our services and expanding our reach
to help more people with disability. With regulatory
change looming and NDIS funding constraints, we
must remain vigilant and be ready to adapt. Leveraging
technology to streamline operations, mitigating risk
with good processes, and maintaining financial stability
are continuing priorities.
The good news is that Living My Way is well-positioned
to take on the challenges ahead. Our Members can
be assured that they have a Board and Management
team committed to continuous improvement while
maintaining the services they already enjoy. We will be
guided every step of the way by our Members and our
shared sense of purpose.
Our Board: strength through change
The last 12 months have been a time of change for our
Board.
I want to thank Peter Strohkorb for leading us as
Chair through 2021-23. Peter steered the Board
with great care, passion and integrity; through a
challenging period that included the sudden passing
of our previous Chair, Milena Morrow, a COVID-19
lockdown and the onboarding of our CEO, within the
space of a few months in 2021. Peter also led the
recruitment of several new Directors and contributed
to the advancement of our governance practices. We’re
fortunate to still have Peter on the Board, benefiting
from his great passion, humour, organisational
knowledge and governance experience.
I would also like to thank those who exited the Living
My Way Board in the past year: Sanjeev Gupta, Richard
Moore, and Frank Burke. Each of these Board members
has contributed significantly to their own areas of
expertise, and we are extremely grateful for their
contribution. These changes present an opportunity
to bring in fresh perspectives and skills. We are in the
process of recruiting new Board Directors. As always,
we encourage people with disability to apply for Board
positions and particularly anyone who is committed to
get in touch.
Thank you to our team members
I would like to praise the incredible work our team
members have done this year. When I visit the Living
My Way offices, I get a strong sense of commitment
to our Members and a positive culture. Seeing your
dedication first hand and hearing your own stories
is always impressive and inspiring. Your hard work
and commitment make a real difference to the lives
of our Members and we are grateful for your efforts.
Thank you everyone.
Last but definitely not least, thank you to
our Members
I hope you enjoy reading this year’s Annual Report and
feel the genuine passion we all share for the work and
future of Living My Way. You'll meet many Members,
their families and carers in these pages again this year
as we focus on learning and connecting through your
stories. Thank you for inviting us to support you in your
life, and for sharing your stories too.
Warm regards,
Huw Thomas Chair
CEO’s message
The theme for this year’s annual report
is ‘Strengthening our Roots’. I don’t mind
admitting that I’m a terrible gardener, but
I do know that a flourishing tree is a sign
of good roots. And so it makes me very
proud to read through the stories that our
Members, and our team, have provided for
this year’s annual report.
They are stories that tell me that
the many people connected
to Living My Way (LMW)
are indeed flourishing,
and importantly that
the work to develop
the foundations of our
organisation is having
a positive impact
in the lives of our
Members.
The long awaited
reports from the
Disability Royal
Commission (DRC)
and the NDIS Review
landed in the first half
of the year and there
are two clear messages
emerging. That
people with disability
need an improved NDIS
that clearly puts them at the
centre of their supports, and that
service providers need to elevate
the standards of their services to
accommodate this. In FY2024 LMW
made a great start in embracing
these guiding themes.
Our team travelled the length
and breadth of NSW to personally
visit our Employ Your Own Support Worker
Members. We gained some excellent feedback on
how this extraordinary model continues to meet
their requirements, but importantly where it can be
improved. For the first time in the history of LMW, all of
our Members were provided with a unique opportunity
to tell us what we should be thinking about in the next
three year strategy, and to shape the type of values they
think are important in supporting our ambitions.
And in December 2023, as part of International Day of
People with Disability, a group of Members and people
connected with LMW were provided with a platform to
host a roundtable conversation. LMW hosted the day,
but the voices and experiences were entirely those of
people with lived disability. We will continue to make
sure that the voices of our Members help to shape and
lead the future of LMW.
Behind the scenes, we made many changes and
adaptations to ensure that quality and safeguarding
efforts continued to shape organisational
improvement.
All of these great efforts were rewarded and recognised
at the end of the financial year with the completion of
our NDIS mid term audit in June. Not only was LMW
recommended for re-registration, the audit report also
identified elements of best practice in a number of
practice standard areas, an achievement we
are all very proud of.
The current set of reviews in
the disability sector are sure
to bring many changes in
the years to come. We
know the very best way
we can meet these
changes is to continue to
nurture genuine, open
connection with our
Members. When I read
each story in this year’s
annual report I know we
are definitely heading in
the right direction.
Thank you as always to
our dedicated Board of
Directors for their guidance
and support throughout the
year, and congratulations to
the entire LMW team for their
part in the remarkable stories and
achievements of our Members.
Mark Turley
Chief Executive Officer
Our new
Support Worker
Newsletter
Improved
financial systems
to increase
efficiency
Enhanced our
employee benefits
so we can attract
and retain the right
people
Our new Learning
and Development
Framework
Updated Member
information
available to their
Support Workers
E
E
D
A farmer’s tale
Gerry is a farmer. He spent many years
working his 4,000-acre farm in Condobilin
with his wife and three sons. In 1975, he was
diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy (MD),
but that didn’t stop Gerry. He adapted his
farming equipment to continue working on
the land he loved for many more years.
As his MD progressed, Gerry and his wife Rose
made the tough decision to sell their farm and
move to Grafton and be closer to medical facilities.
Gerry has been managing his own Support Workers
since 2006 and is a font of knowledge for others
contemplating the same.
Rose’s Story
It has been a long slow progression with Gerry’s
disease.
Early on before we discovered self-management, we
had strangers coming into our home and it felt like
a privacy invasion. Gerry was training hundreds of
different people and we got sick of it.
Then we joined LMW and took the management
over ourselves and everything changed. I get support
handling the paperwork and payroll which helps a lot.
Now Gerry chooses his Support Workers but I’m
involved too, and we do the interviews together.
Because it always involves people in our home, this
is a decision we both make and whoever we choose
always needs to align with our values.
We build rapport with our Support Workers and get to
know them. I don’t hover and let them do their job. If
there’s an issue we discuss and work it out together.
We have a good system that runs well, and I trust
them 100% which is wonderful.
Rose, Gerry’s wife
Our Members
GERRY
We've always found a way to make
things work; it's how I've coped with life's
challenges. We take great care of our
Support Workers, handling hiring and
firing ourselves. We're truly grateful for
the people who help us. They understand
my needs, and often I don’t even have
to ask – they just know. It’s been a very
successful arrangement.
Gerry, EYO Member
Rose, Gerry’s wife
Kerrie’s Story
I’ve been helping Gerry for the last three years with
his daily physical support. It’s simple things like
scratching his nose, or making sure his beloved radio
is left on his tray at the end of my shift, so he can
enjoy talkback for the rest of the afternoon.
Gerry loves nicknames, so in the beginning, it was
learning what belonged to what (equipment, body
parts, and everything). I worked in aged care for 23
years before becoming a Support Worker. I love the
difference. You have time to build relationships, and
it’s so much more rewarding. Gerry always makes
me smile, and the simple things are important for
his care.
I help Gerry live life the way he wants. We cut out
stories from the newspaper that keep him in touch
with his love of the land and his life before. He
always wants to keep his special memories and I’m
happy to help him.
Kerrie, Support Worker
Gerry with his brother Bill
Gerry with Support Worker Kerrie
I help Gerry live life the way
he wants. We cut out stories
from the newspaper that keep
him in touch with his love of
the land and his life before.
Kerrie, Support Worker
This works for me
I’ve been with LMW since about 2007,
though it was called Allowance
Incorporated back then. A Support Worker
told me about this great organisation and
I decided to give it a try: little did I know I’d
still be here all these years later.
I was on the Board for 10 years and I enjoyed it.
We were just a small organisation then, not many
Members, and less than 10 staff. We were very close.
Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of changes with more
Members and lots of new technologies, and systems..
I am used to hiring my
own Support Workers.
At the beginning it was
a little bit scary because
I hadn’t had that
experience. But lucky
back then, it wasn’t that
hard to hire people.
I’d put an ad in the
local newspaper and
usually get quite a few
people to come for an
interview. I could attract
experienced people,
sometimes nursing
students. Now it’s
harder to find Support
Workers that way. Since
the NDIS came, people
have other platforms
to look for jobs easily.
That’s why I’m using
an agency as it’s easier
because they have
platforms to look for
Support Workers.
I prefer to manage my
own staff because then
you can talk directly together. You can discuss how
they feel and if they’re happy with the job. It’s more
direct and easier and you don’t have to talk through
a third person. It’s important that everyone who
works with me are honest, trustworthy, and tries
their best. It’s very personal duties they do for you.
I’m lucky to still have one Support Worker who’s
been with me for seven years. We understand each
other. Sometimes she’ll do a little bit more to help,
and sometimes when she’s busy, I understand.
Angela, EYO Member
Our Members
ANGELA
Angela, EYO Member, and Wendy, LMW Team Member
I prefer to manage my own
staff because then you can
talk directly together. You can
discuss how they feel and if
they’re happy with the job. It’s
more direct and easier and
you don’t have to talk through
a third person.
Angela, EYO Member
10