It is hard to believe that in a democratic country as wealthy as Australia that people with a disability and their families are still left to struggle alone every day. Most Australians assume that if people are born with a disability or acquire one later in life, that some system, somewhere, will take care of them.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

People with a disability and their families know only too well the daily struggle for services and support, how often the system fails to deliver essential services. They know how often desperate families are left to fill the gaps. There is also considerable inequity, with people receiving different levels of support depending on how, when and where their disability was acquired.

And the situation will only grow worse in the future. As the population ages, the number of people with a disability will increase. At the same time, the number of unpaid carers willing and able to provide support will decrease.

It is therefore time to take stock and plan for the future.

A National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) represents a fundamental reform to the way services are funded and delivered. It is a social reform on the scale of Medicare.  Click here to visit the NDIS website.

Senior Officials from the Town of Kwinana visited the Café on Tuesday 23rd February to see the Intework operating model in action and liaise with the Management Team. The Town of Kwinana is currently in the process of rebuilding its Town Centre, similar to that being undertaken by the City of Wanneroo and intends to operate a Café, along Social enterprise lines, inside its new Learning and Cultural Centre due for completion in 2011. City of Wanneroo Community Services Staff were also on hand to discuss their experiences with Intework and also describe the meal delivery process to the Aged care Centres. Lunch was provided to all and a great deal of questions were asked. The Town of Kwinana has asked Intework to continue its involvement with the project and provide input to the Social Enterprise plans prior to completion of the building.

The team of Managers who currently run the Nourish Café, Peter Beaton and John Fussell, have been engaged by the Centre for Cerebral Palsy to assist them with the establishment of their own café ‘The Pickled Pumpkin”. Peter and John have been engaged to assist TCCP Management with the employment of suitable staff, the establishment of a regular menu, the setting of food handling and hygiene guidelines, supplier negotiations and operating processes for the Café.

Peter Beaton commented “ We are delighted to assist our colleagues in the Disability Sector with the establishment of their own Café and to impart some of the knowledge and experience we have gained from our own experiences in Nourish”

The Pickled Pumpkin sits inside the TCCP Admin building in Menora and provides coffee, snacks and healthy food options to staff and visitors to the Centre