As Chair of the Board of Trustees, I am very pleased to welcome you to Hale Community Support’s (Hale) website.

The Board provides strong governance and strategic direction for the organisation. We are guided by a formal Constitution, a Board of Directors Policy, a Code of Conduct, and an Instrument of Delegations of Authority and Responsibility. These frameworks ensure clear accountability, ethical decision‑making, and effective oversight of Hale’s services and operations.

Over more than a decade of service, Hale Community Support has faced many of the same challenges affecting disability services across Australia: workforce shortages, rising costs, increasing complexity of participant needs (including mental health and complex behaviours), and ongoing changes in NDIS policy and compliance requirements.

We have responded to these challenges in several key ways:

• Strengthening our workforce – As a licensed NDIS provider, we ethically recruit and retain skilled Australian workers, stabilising our staffing and ensuring consistent, culturally responsive care. In addition, as a PALM‑certified provider, we have helped, and continue to help other organisations and companies, including HCS, to build and maintain a high‑quality, reliable workforce.
• Investing in training and quality – Our carers receive regular training in best‑practice disability, mental health, and behaviour support, as well as safeguarding and participants’ rights, improving safety, reliability, and service quality.
• Focusing on person‑centred, multicultural care – By listening closely to participants and families, and respecting cultural diversity, we tailor supports that truly meet people’s needs, even in difficult times.
• Working together as a community – We recognise that no organisation can do this work alone. Partnerships with families, communities, churches, local services, and government are essential in sharing resources, knowledge, and emotional support.

The biggest lesson from these years is that we cope best when we stand together. As a community, we must continue to support one another—participants, families, staff, and partners so that everyone can live with dignity, inclusion, and hope.

On behalf of the Board, I thank all who have walked with us through these challenges. Your trust and collaboration have made Hale stronger and better able to serve.