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Our Clients

ICLA supports clients who experience a variety of psychiatric disabilities including schizophrenia, personality disorders, mood disorders, depression, acquired brain injury and co-morbid developmental delay. We currently provide services to 74 clients ranging in age from 35 to 74 years.

Flexible programs are tailored to assist individual clients in their day-to-day living and involvement in the community and clients are encouraged to participate in the running of their home and to pursue individual interests, sports and hobbies.

All clients are provided with the level of support they require and a 'needs assessment' determines whether clients are assigned High, Medium or Low support. Where these needs are determined as 'High', twenty four hour supervision is provided. This provides a safe and secure environment where clients can access staff at any time.

We take great care in terms of accommodation placements and suitability, personality, age and practicality are all taken into account to ensure that we attain the best level of compatibility.

ICLA has strengthened its service delivery models by improving its Client Support Plans and providing quality control system in all its houses. This includes further strengthening the organisation’s approach to holistic client services and best practice rehabilitation interventions which are evidenced based reflecting the changing need of clients. Extensive staff training has been undertaken to ensure that all staff fully understand how to 'complete plans', 'prioritise needs' and requirements, action the plan and review outcomes.

Client and Family/Carer Inclusion

We understand the importance of carer and family involvement in ICLA’s services and ensuring client choice and influence in ICLA’s services and their own individual support plan.

The organisation provides for client inclusion into as many areas of ICLA’s operations as possible, including:

  • Clients were invited to attend a presentation on the draft of ICLA’s Strategic Plan & Operating Plan and are asked for their comments and suggestions.
  • Clients are actively involved in the compilation of needs, requirements, action plans, reviews and updates for the Client Support Plan.
  • Clients are actively involved in arranging a wide range of activities.
  • Clients have a formal Complaints Policy and all new and outstanding complaints are reviewed at each board meeting.

Greater carer and family involvement in ICLA’s activities has been incorporated and this includes regular house lunches involving clients, carer/family representative, staff and a board member

ICLA has a structured focus on client activities. This ensures that we are providing balanced activities across a wider spectrum. Activities are decided by clients and staff and clients are encouraged to focus more on “well-being” activities.

Activities are structured into the following groups and Team Managers are provided with the approved budget to organize and carry out these activities:

  • Sport & recreational
  • Social
  • Arts and crafts
  • Group activities
  • Health & fitness
  • Educational
  • Other activities such as meditation, yoga, tai chi

Our Goals for Clients

  • To maximise residents’ life satisfaction
  • To maximise residents’ linkage with community activities and resources
  • Provide a safe, affordable, and physically comfortable living environment
  • Enhance each resident’s autonomy
  • Provide long-term housing tenure
  • Maximise self care and living skills via Individual Support Plans
  • Maximise resident participation in decision making concerning their homes and lives
  • Ensure that in-house programs are relevant to naturally occurring activities
  • Promote acceptance, interaction and participation of clients within their wider community
  • Regularly evaluate our services to ensure accountability to residents and the community

Our Values for our Clients

  • Empowerment
  • Independence
  • Security and safety
  • Fulfillment
  • Self worth
  • Rehabilitation and recovery
  • Self determination
  • Respect
  • Acceptance of diversity
  • Wellbeing
  • Choice

CALD Policy

ICLA believes people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds have the right to accessible and appropriate generic and mainstream specialist mental health services, including psychiatric disability and rehabilitation support services.

The organisation’s principles support the active inclusion of these people in our service provision as follows:

  • Access
    Services will be available to everyone
  • Equity
    Services will be developed and delivered based on fair treatment to all.
  • Communication
    Many strategies will be used to inform people about services and how they can obtain them
  • Responsiveness
    Services will be sensitive to the needs and requirements of CALD service users
  • Accountability
    Reporting mechanisms will be in place, which ensure ICLA meets access and equity objectives for people from CALD backgrounds

ICLA’s plan in terms of its CALD policies builds on the values of equality, respect and inclusion and promotes and celebrates the value of cultural, religious, racial and linguistic diversity.

Through a range of actions it aspires to:

  • Equip staff with the knowledge and tools they need to provide inclusive practice and deliver culturally sensitive services
  • Work collaboratively across the organisation, and with stakeholders, to build stronger partnerships with CALD parents and communities
  • Integrate CALD considerations into planning, service support, needs and evaluation
  • Ensure communicate on CALD policies

ICLA regards these policies as a positive initiative in meeting Government expectations and community needs. It is an inclusive plan that supports all clients.

ICLA has appointed a CALD Coordinator to engage with local relevant CALD communities and be responsible for the implementation of all CALD policies and objectives.

Client Advocacy Policy

ICLA believes that people with disabilities have the same rights as anyone else. ICLA aims to ensure that people with a disability obtain these rights in practice by advocating with and for them.

ICLA will ensure that clients are provided with maximal opportunities and support to participate as fully as possible in making and in the way in which the ICLA operates.

The shared/group homes are structured as an integrated, extended family setting and all efforts are undertaken to ensure residents take responsibility for their home, participate in its day to day running and make decisions that affect their lives; hence the staff attempt to be as non-imposing as possible.

Staff focus on rehabilitating clients and promoting independence in basic life skills. As residents feel more independent they are able to transition from high support to medium support to low support facilities.

To increase the quality control aspects for clients (and staff) to best practice standards, ICLA has recruited a Service Manager who is responsible for all house services, amenities and other related issues providing quality control functions for houses and staff facilities within the houses. We believe that the standards and safety of our homes is paramount to our clients leading a safe, secure and comfortable lifestyle and is important to their rehabilitation and recovery process.