CLA, Community Living Association: Disability Services in Albany WA
Community Living Association Inc, known as CLA, is a not-for-profit organisation operating out of Albany, Western Australia. Our central office is at 36 Cockburn Road, Albany, and our training office is a little further along at 56 Cockburn Road. We provide disability services in Albany and across the Great Southern region, supporting people with disability to engage in the community, live independently and develop skills.
Thirty years in the Great Southern
Over the last 30 years we have grown from an association providing services to people, to de-institutionalise into a diverse not-for-profit organisation that offers a broad range of services across the Great Southern region. We currently employ over 150 staff and engage with numerous volunteers, and we are governed by a board of directors. Russell Nelson is our Chief Executive Officer.
Our published vision is to empower our community to thrive and fulfil their aspirations, and our purpose is nurturing personal growth by providing tailored support. We work to four values. Accountability: we are responsible for delivering high quality, safe and reliable services. Choice: we respect individual preferences and are committed to active listening. Professionalism, in our service provision and in how we work. Connection: we actively create opportunities for community engagement and participation.
The support we provide
We work with you to tailor your individualised and flexible plan, placing you at the centre of the decision making process. Our service agreements set out clearly what support is provided and how much it costs. Our safeguarding policies cover person-centred practice, participant rights, privacy, duty of care and incident management.
Our support services
- Supported living: daily life support in your home, including domestic assistance, personal and self-care tasks, shopping, bill paying, attending appointments and medication assistance.
- Community support: support to engage in meaningful activities that promote inclusion and friendship, build independence, develop resilience and connect you to the community.
- Social support: group and individual opportunities to make new friends, connect with a range of daily activities, and build and develop new skills and interests.
- Accommodation support: sourcing suitable accommodation tailored to your requirements, and assistance to maintain your living environment.
- Positive Behaviour Support: our PBS practitioners work with individuals, families, support networks, education staff and other health professionals to identify why behaviours of concern are occurring, and provide strategies to manage and prevent the behaviours.
- Support coordination: our support coordinators help participants work through the NDIS process, including plan reviews and the myplace portal.
Accommodation
We provide Supported Independent Living, and we run two fully furnished, fully accessible homes, Marina and Baltic, both close to shops, parks and local services. Support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and we offer short-term, medium-term and permanent accommodation options. Video tours of both homes are on our website, along with any current vacancies. Accommodation enquiries can go to [email protected] or through the office on (08) 9842 3855.
LifeSkills activities and Drive Forward
Our LifeSkills Activities offer engaging and flexible learning opportunities for people with disability. The current program includes Art Circle, Social Sport, Singability, Bingo and Lego Club, and the activity calendar and enrolment details are published on our website.
Drive Forward is our Driving Access and Equity program for the Great Southern. It provides free mentoring and driving lessons for people with disability and for people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Participants can use a driving simulator to build confidence before going on the road, get help working through Department of Transport learner requirements, and have a mentor alongside them during supervised driving hours. It is open to Australian citizens and permanent residents who hold an NDIS number or a Disability Support Pension card, or who are from a CALD community. Enquiries go to [email protected].
Getting in touch, and getting involved
Our central office is at 36 Cockburn Road, Albany WA 6330, and the office number is (08) 9842 3855. If you are new to the NDIS, our support coordinators can talk you through what happens next. We also publish a Community Matters newsletter and a community calendar, and we list our vacancies under Work with us. Host Family volunteering is another way to be involved: a Host Family provides short-term respite and long term support to CLA participants with disability, and can be a single person, a single parent with children, or a couple with or without children. There is a comprehensive assessment before anyone is accepted into that program, and we will guide you through what it involves.