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Empowering people to realise their abilities
Ability WA is a not-for-profit disability service provider that has been supporting Western Australian families for more than 70 years.
We are committed to providing our customers and their families with the services and supports they need. Ability WA supports people living with cerebral palsy, autism and other physical and intellectual disabilities.
Our innovative and responsive services can be provided from early infancy through to adulthood. We believe that building a strong relationship with you and your family, is the key to reaching your potential.
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Ability WA has been a leading provider in the disability sector since its inception as the Spastic Welfare Association in 1951. Faced with a fear and lack of understanding of disabilities by both the medical community and the general public, a group of dedicated parents established the organisation with a commitment to improving the lives of their children with Cerebral Palsy and others like them. The spirit of that watershed moment has permeated throughout the organisation's 70 year history.
Ability Centre launched as a vibrant new brand on the Western Australian disability landscape in March 2015. Formerly The Centre for Cerebral Palsy, the organisation undertook considered and widespread consultation to ensure the new name, look and feel accurately reflected the current state and future direction of the 64 year old service provider.
With approximately a third of its service users presenting with disabilities other than Cerebral Palsy, the decision was made to better align with its customer profile and further cement the Centre's position as the dynamic, responsive provider it already had the reputation for.
In April 2021, the year of our 70th anniversary, a minor name change was made and we became Ability WA. As an organisation based in multiple locations and providing services across Western Australia, it was time to demonstrate that we have expanded from being a physical “Centre” to an organisation that is an integral part of the lives of people with disability and their families. We truly live in the hearts and minds of people, and not as a physical place.
We have always believed that working alongside people and in partnership is the best way to work. We take pride in our strength-based approach which focuses on the goals of the person with the disability, as well as the vision for the whole family. We get to know people and provide solutions that are specifically tailored to the individual. This is what Ability WA stands for today.
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Ability WA takes a responsible and considered approach to risk management, identifying and mitigating risk, and ensuring a risk aware culture, accepting that risk is present in all facets of our business activity and service delivery. Ability WA therefore will accept a degree of risk proportionate to potential reward, impact and customer outcome.
This Risk Appetite Statement affirms the level of risk Ability WA is prepared to accept to ensure our objectives of enhancing our internal operations; knowing and growing our organisation; influencing and shaping our community and developing and strengthening our people and culture, are achieved through well informed decision making, high calibre service provision and strategic development.
Risk Tolerances
Ability WA has no tolerance for:
- Any practice or other activity that may result in harm to our customers or staff;
- Abuse, neglect, violence, or substandard care of our customers; and
- Activities that violate laws and regulations.
Ability WA has a low tolerance for:
- Risks that undermine the long term viability of the organisation; and
- Risks that undermine the reputation of the organisation.
Ability WA has a moderate tolerance for:
- Financial and commercial risks in order to achieve strategic priorities.
We recognise that risk is dynamic and part of our lives. Our risk management approach facilitates the opportunities presented, evaluates associated risks and balances those with a pragmatic, balanced, realistic risk appetite.
Ability WA is proud of our Organisational Values of connecting with heart; achieving together; thinking differently and making things happen, and committed to working to them. Our risk management is undertaken in consideration of our values.
The Ability WA governance model applies the three lines of defence as a framework for managing risk across the organisation:
- Senior staff take responsibility for owning, managing and supervising according to our risk appetite, the risks across our business.
- Management has oversight and control including ensuring a risk aware culture, a defined risk appetite statement and reporting and analysis of clinical and non- clinical risk for Executive and Board.
- An Internal Audit Program performed by relevant independent companies is in place, with reporting of any matters warranting escalation to the Executive
and Board.
Critical to this is a customer centric culture, effective training, risk identification, mitigation and management and appropriate reporting at all levels, and compliance with the NDIS Commission Quality and Safeguarding Framework as a minimum.
Our Purpose
Empower people to realise their abilities.
Our Vision
People of all abilities thrive in their community throughout their lives.
Our Values
Connect with heart
We get to know you. It is important to us that we understand what matters. Our relationships are genuine, we are fully present, and understand and respect boundaries.
Think differently
We are passionate about new opportunities. We look for better ways of doing things and are constantly learning. We embrace different ways of thinking, it makes us stronger and drives us to be better.
Achieve together
We are a team. We know who we are and where we are going. We delight in achievement and work together knowing we all have our part to play. We are open and honest about what is possible.
Make things happen
Our knowledge and experience sets us apart. We know things change and we find ways forward. We do what we say we will.
