A decade of support for Wollongong locals

For Gwynneville local, Lilli Webb-Jones, 2024 marks 10 years since she first met her disability Support Worker Ingrid Hearn and began her journey towards independence. The pair have become like family and Ingrid has witnessed Lilli go from strength to strength in achieving her NDIS goals.  

“Lilli has changed in so many ways over the last 10 years. She is so much better at communicating her needs and accepting other people’s choices too. She has worked hard to manage her own money and learned how to foster friendships. These might sound like small wins to some people, but they’ve made a world of difference to Lilli’s everyday life,” said Aruma Support Worker Ingrid Hearn.

Ingrid provides Flexible Support to Lilli under Aruma’s Social and Community Participation program. She works with her on Tuesdays and Thursdays to assist with activities like doing the weekly shop, attending music classes, meeting up with friends and getting out and about in the Wollongong community.  

“I absolutely love working with Lilli. We have an amazing connection and live on the same frequency of love and happiness. When I first started working with Aruma (then House with No Steps) I didn’t expect to be here for the next decade, but I love the people, I love the work, and it’s really fulfilling to make a difference in the lives of others,” shared Ingrid. 

The latest workforce census report from National Disability Services, the peak body for disability service organisations, has found that the disability industry is struggling more than ever with staff retention.  

New statistics outline that approximately 24% of casual NDIS workers and 16% of permanent staff, have quit in the last year.  

Aruma, is however one of the disability providers getting it right. The registered NDIS provider currently has close to 6,000 staff across the East Coast of Australia, and 20% of that workforce has been with the organisation for over 10 years.  

“We’re really proud to have staff who value their role at our organisation and are committed to always putting our participants first. We actually have 1,184 people who have been with us for over 10 years, and of that, 114 people have 30+ years of service,” said Lylea McMahon, Chief People Officer at Aruma. 

Lylea is passionate about creating inclusive communities where people with disability can live the lives they choose.  

Lylea added, “In the Wollongong area we have Supported Independent Living (SIL) homes, community hubs and opportunities for Supported Employment. We have approximately 64 staff in the Ilawarra across these areas and our purpose is to support people like Lilli to live a great life, the life they want, the life they choose.” 

This story was also published in Region Illawarra

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