Overview

A man and a woman are seating on a couch looking at a magazine. The woman is resting her head on the man's shoulder, while pointing at something in the magazine. The man is smiling.

The 2022-23 financial year was a rewarding one for Northcott, with our operations getting back on track.

While COVID-19 has continued to cause some disruptions, largely, we have been able to return to our pre-pandemic service levels with customers returning to centres. Our staff numbers are up and we have returned to delivering our full suite of services and supports – as well as some new programs – to thousands of children and adults with disability and their families and carers.

We have taken the past year to focus on supporting our workforce and building an inclusive workplace for all. This has included making some progress in attracting more people with disability to join Northcott – and ensuring we are supporting them to undertake their roles efficiently, effectively and safely.

We have looked closely at our Operations and how we can better serve and support customers to reach their potential. One significant change was the introduction of Customer Partners who get know our customers at a deeper level to understand their goals and support them to maximise their NDIS funding and services available from Northcott.

Our community has continued to be important in helping Northcott to deliver services and supports that make a real difference in the lives of children and adults with disability. We are grateful to our many partners, including those in the housing space and those providing funding and grants for new programs. We couldn’t do our work without you!

Three significant activities for the coming year are already commanding our attention:

  1. The Disability Royal Commission Final Report and Recommendations, which was handed down in September 2023.
  2. The NDIS Review, which we anticipate will bring quite significant changes to the sector.
  3. Our next Strategic Plan, which will ensure Northcott continues to deliver on its purpose of building an inclusive society for children and adults with disability.

This year’s Annual Report includes many heartwarming stories about our customers and staff. We believe sharing these stories is the best way to demonstrate how Northcott is continuing to positively impact the lives of people with disability and support them to live the life they choose, whatever that may be.

Thank you to our Directors, staff, partners and stakeholders for your contributions to Northcott in 2022-23. And thank you to the people with disability and their families who choose Northcott as their service provider.

About Northcott

Northcott is a leading disability services provider supporting children and adults with disability in New South Wales (NSW), the Australian Capital Territory and Queensland (QLD).

We have more than 90 years of history supporting people with disability to live the life they choose.

Northcott is one of the top 5 disability housing providers in Australia, with 123 disability properties across NSW. We also have respite homes in NSW and QLD.

We are an NDIS Early Childhood Partner in the Community in five regions of NSW. In June 2023, the National Disability Insurance Agency announced Northcott as the partner in the Northern Sydney region.

From our offices, centres and in the community, we provide core services including Therapy, Life Skills, Work & Study, Recreation, Respite, Social Outings, Behaviour Support, Support Coordination and Sexuality and Relationship Education.

Our subsidiaries are:

Acknowledgement

Northcott acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of all lands on which we work. We pay our respects to their Elders – past, present and emerging – and extend that respect to other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We also pay tribute to their ongoing connection to land, waters and community.

Our purpose, vision and values

Our purpose

We are striving to build an inclusive society where people can live the life they choose.

We support people with disability to reach their full potential by providing services and support to promote a genuinely inclusive society.

Our vision

We want to grow our services because customers choose us as their provider of choice.

Our values

We are a values-based organisation that fosters a workplace culture based on our core values of:

  • INNOVATIVE – because we develop new ideas and solutions with creativity in anticipation of changing needs.
  • RESPECTFUL – because we believe that everyone’s voice is unique and that they have the right to be heard.
  • BRAVE – because we have the courage to stand up for people with all abilities, even in the face of adversity.

Northcott Values logo OUTLINEDIn 2023, more than 4,500 values recognitions were celebrated by staff members, with RESPECTFUL the value most acknowledged by staff about their peers through our recognition and wellbeing portal.

Message from our Chairman and our CEO

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