Trio of NFP Care Providers to Merge in WA

Three Perth-based care providers Care Options, Volunteer Task Force and Community First are set to merge to create a single WA-based organisation to deliver a range of community services, from mental health support to home care and disability services.

In coming months, the not-for-profit organisations will merge to form a single support services organisation, which they say will focus on becoming the “new face” of community services in Western Australia.

The move follows a growing trend of not-for-profit service providers merging as a result of the roll out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme in July 2016.

L-R – Sheilah Cummins, Kath Snell and David Shelton

Care Options is a charitable organisation that assists elderly, ill, disabled and socially-isolated people to live and participate in their community.

Care Options chief executive Sheilah Cummins said her organisation had fostered a strong relationship with both organisations, all similar-sized not for profits that assist people to live and participate in their community.

“The integration of Care Options with Volunteer Task Force and Community First provides us with an exciting opportunity to build on each other’s strengths and grow our services to assist people improve the quality of their lives,” Cummins said.

“We’ll be working in collaboration with Volunteer Task Force and Community First board members, staff, volunteers and clients to provide the best possible outcomes through our merger, and to ensure a smooth transition of our customer services.”

Volunteer Task Force provides people of limited financial, social and physical capacity options to live safety in surroundings of their choice. The organisation provides gardening, domestic assistance, transport, wellbeing programs, home maintenance, social visits, shopping assistance and outings for people who are elderly or have disabilities.

Volunteer Task Force chief executive Kath Snell said each organisation would do its utmost to ensure the merger had minimal impact on new and existing customers.

“Our decision has been driven by the need to create a sustainable future for our organisations in the age of consumer directed care; we are three strong not for profits coming together to create a robust, wide-ranging, quality-driven, professional and welcoming organisation,” Snell said.

Community First was established 30 years ago providing services to seniors, people with a disability and those experiencing mental illness.

Community First executive director David Shelton said: “Much has changed in the aged and disability sectors and we are positioning ourselves for success, excellence and accessibility for a greater number of people in this new era.

“Given the changes already underway and those afoot, we believe our merger to be a natural, prudent and timely move forward.”

A new name for the combined organisation is yet to be announced. The merged organisations will have a total staff of 403 and a combined budget of $31.5 million.

“The CEO position is currently being advertised and two members from each existing board have been appointed to the new board, as well as all three chairs, so nine board members have been appointed in total,” a spokesperson for the organisations told Pro Bono Australia News.

“No changes will be made to current care staff [numbers]. Any other staff changes are unknown until the new CEO begins.”