DCIRS Community Care Strategic Plan 2027 - 2030 (Public Version)

OUR PURPOSE

To strengthen communities by supporting people to live with independence, dignity, connection and choice.

OUR MISSION

DCIRS Community Care delivers person-centred support that enables people to maintain independence, achieve their goals and remain connected to the communities in which they live.

Through compassionate relationships, skilled staff and a commitment to quality, we provide supports that promote wellbeing, choice and belonging.

OUR VISION

"A future where every person has the opportunity to participate, contribute and thrive as a valued member of their community".

ABOUT THIS STRATEGIC PLAN

The DCIRS Community Care Strategic Plan 2027–2030 sets out our direction for the coming years. It explains what matters to us, what we aim to achieve and how we will continue strengthening the supports we provide. The plan is centred on five strategic themes:

1. Participant Outcomes.

2. Quality and Safeguarding.

3. Workforce Excellence.

4. Financial Sustainability.

5. Community and Organisational Growth.

These themes guide our decisions, priorities and continual improvement activities. They also help ensure that DCIRS remains focused on safe, reliable and person-centred support while responding to the changing needs of participants and our rural communities.

ABOUT DCIRS COMMUNITY CARE

DCIRS Community Care is a regional community services organisation providing disability, aged care and community-based supports across Donald, Warracknabeal and surrounding communities.

We support people to remain independent, connected and engaged in community life. We recognise that meaningful outcomes extend beyond the delivery of services. They include dignity, independence, belonging, choice and participation in the relationships and activities that matter to each person.

Our approach is grounded in local knowledge, genuine relationships and a strong commitment to the communities we serve. As DCIRS continues to develop, we remain focused on preserving the personal and community-centred qualities that define who we are.

OUR VALUES

Our values reflect both the experiences of participants and the expectations we place upon ourselves as an organisation and workforce.

Together, these values guide service delivery, governance, decision-making, relationships and organisational culture.

From the Participant Perspective

D: Determination We recognise and support each participant’s determination to pursue their goals, make choices and take meaningful steps towards the life they want.

For DCIRS, determination also means remaining focused on positive outcomes for participants, workers and the organisation, including when circumstances are complex or challenging.

C: Courage We acknowledge the courage participants show in facing challenges, making decisions, building confidence and working towards change.

DCIRS demonstrates courage by speaking up when something is not right, learning from concerns and continually improving the quality and safety of our supports. I: Independence We support each participant to maintain and build independence in ways that are meaningful to them.

This includes respecting choice and control, supporting informed decision-making, building capacity where possible and providing support that enables participants to live life on their own terms. R: Resilience We respect the resilience participants have shown throughout their lives and recognise the experience, knowledge and strength this brings.

As an organisation, resilience means adapting to change, responding to challenges and maintaining safe, reliable and person-centred supports across our rural communities. S: Strength We recognise every participant’s strengths, capabilities, interests and lived experience.

DCIRS uses a strengths-based approach that focuses on what people can do, what matters to them and how our relationships, workforce capability and community connections can support meaningful outcomes.

From the Staff and Organisational Perspective

D: Dignity

We uphold the dignity of every participant by treating people as individuals with rights, preferences, privacy and personal choice.

Dignity is central to person-centred support. It means recognising each person’s self-worth, identity, independence and right to be involved in decisions that affect them.

C: Compassion

We show compassion through the way we listen, respond and provide support.

Compassion at DCIRS means caring about the wellbeing of participants, families, workers and communities while remaining professional, respectful and focused on safe, high-quality support.

I: Integrity

We act with honesty, transparency and accountability in everything we do.

Integrity means protecting confidentiality, using information responsibly, making ethical decisions, following through on commitments and maintaining the trust placed in DCIRS by participants, families, workers and the community.

R: Respect

We respect participants, workers, families, representatives and community partners.

Respect means recognising each person’s rights, choices, culture, individuality and lived experience, and communicating in ways that uphold dignity, inclusion and trust.

S: Sincerity

We build genuine relationships through openness, honesty and authenticity.

Sincerity means being present in our interactions, listening without judgement, communicating respectfully and ensuring personal opinions do not override participant choice, rights or preferences.

OUR OPERATING ENVIRONMENT

DCIRS operates within changing disability, aged care and community-service systems. We recognise the importance of remaining responsive to regulatory reform, workforce pressures, increasing participant expectations and evolving community needs.

As a rural provider, we also understand the importance of local access, reliable services, trusted relationships and strong community connections.

Over the life of this plan, we will continue strengthening our governance, workforce capability, quality systems, safeguarding practices and organisational sustainability. We will do this in a way that remains practical, values-led and appropriate to the communities we serve.

STRATEGIC THEME 1: PARTICIPANT OUTCOMES

Our Objective To deliver services that improve independence, wellbeing, inclusion and quality of life.

Why This Matters Participant outcomes are central to the purpose of DCIRS Community Care.

Meaningful support should not only respond to immediate needs. It should also promote independence, wellbeing, participation, choice and connection within community life.

A strong focus on outcomes helps us understand the difference our services make, continue strengthening person-centred practice and ensure our supports remain relevant to participants, families and communities.

Our Priorities Over the life of this plan, DCIRS will:

• Maintain and strengthen person-centred service delivery.

• Improve participant engagement and feedback opportunities.

• Strengthen the way participant goals and outcomes are understood and recorded.

• Increase opportunities for participation and connection within community life.

• Use participant feedback to inform service improvements.

• Support participants to make informed choices.

• Strengthen communication with participants, families and representatives where appropriate.

• Ensure participant voice and lived experience inform organisational learning and decision-making.

What Success Will Look Like

Success will mean participants experience respectful, reliable and responsive support that helps them pursue their goals, exercise choice and remain connected to the people, places and activities that matter to them.

STRATEGIC THEME 2: QUALITY AND SAFEGUARDING

Our Objective

To maintain a safe, accountable and high-quality service environment that protects participants and supports continual improvement.

Why This Matters

Quality and safeguarding are fundamental to participant safety, organisational integrity and community confidence.

Strong systems help ensure services are delivered safely, consistently and in accordance with applicable requirements. They also support transparency, accountability, learning and improvement across the organisation.

Our Priorities

Over the life of this plan, DCIRS will:

• Continue strengthening quality, safeguarding and governance systems.

• Maintain effective incident, complaint and feedback processes.

• Strengthen risk awareness and appropriate escalation pathways.

• Embed continual improvement across service areas.

• Maintain current and practical policies and procedures.

• Support staff to understand participant rights and safeguarding responsibilities.

• Strengthen organisational learning from feedback, incidents, complaints, audits and reviews.

• Improve the collection and use of evidence that supports quality and accountability.

• Use meaningful quality information to guide governance and organisational decisions.

What Success Will Look Like

Success will mean participants can access supports that promote safety, rights, dignity, choice and wellbeing. Concerns will be welcomed and addressed respectfully, and lessons will be used to strengthen future practice.

STRATEGIC THEME 3: WORKFORCE EXCELLENCE Our Objective

To develop a capable, engaged and values-driven workforce that supports exceptional participant outcomes.

Why This Matters

The quality of participant outcomes is strongly influenced by the capability, wellbeing and engagement of the people providing and coordinating support.

As a regional provider, DCIRS recognises that attracting, supporting and retaining skilled people requires ongoing attention to recruitment, induction, learning, leadership, communication, recognition and workforce wellbeing.

Our Priorities

Over the life of this plan, DCIRS will:

• Strengthen recruitment and onboarding processes.

• Continue developing a values-driven workforce culture.

• Expand workforce learning and development.

• Build leadership and supervision capability.

• Support employee wellbeing.

• Strengthen workforce planning and service continuity.

• Support staff to understand their safeguarding and reporting responsibilities.

• Maintain appropriate worker screening and compliance processes.

• Strengthen succession planning and organisational capability.

• Recognise and value staff contributions to participant outcomes and community impact.

  
  

What Success Will Look Like

Success will mean DCIRS has a capable, supported and values-aligned workforce whose members understand their responsibilities, feel connected to the organisation’s purpose and are equipped to provide safe, respectful and person-centred support.

STRATEGIC THEME 4: FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY Our Objective To maintain a financially sustainable organisation capable of supporting reliable, long-term service delivery.

Why This Matters

Financial sustainability enables DCIRS to continue delivering services, supporting its workforce, maintaining quality and governance systems and responding to future community needs.

We view sustainability not as an end in itself, but as a foundation for participant outcomes, service quality, continuity and organisational resilience.

Our Priorities

Over the life of this plan, DCIRS will:

• Strengthen financial planning, budgeting and forecasting.

• Maintain responsible financial oversight and reporting.

• Monitor the sustainability of services and organisational commitments.

• Plan responsibly for future assets, equipment and organisational needs.

• Consider the financial effect of sector and funding changes.

• Pursue sustainable opportunities that align with participant needs and organisational values.

• Ensure financial decisions support quality, safeguarding and service continuity.

What Success Will Look Like

Success will mean DCIRS remains able to meet its commitments, maintain dependable services and invest responsibly in the people, systems and resources needed to support participants and communities.

STRATEGIC THEME 5: COMMUNITY AND ORGANISATIONAL GROWTH

Our Objective

To strengthen community relationships and organisational capability while preserving DCIRS Community Care’s community-focused identity.

Why This Matters

Community connection is one of DCIRS Community Care’s defining strengths. It has been built through trusted relationships, local knowledge and a genuine commitment to supporting people within the communities in which they live.

Growth should be purposeful, sustainable and aligned with participant needs, workforce capacity, service quality and organisational values. Growth should never come at the expense of participant safety, reliable services or community trust.

Our Priorities

Over the life of this plan, DCIRS will:

• Strengthen partnerships with local organisations and community services.

• Maintain active and respectful community engagement.

• Strengthen referral pathways and stakeholder relationships.

• Maintain strong relationships with participants, families and representatives.

• Identify sustainable opportunities to respond to community need.

• Align service development with workforce capacity and quality safeguards.

• Preserve the local, personalised and community-focused identity of DCIRS.

• Strengthen public communication about our purpose, values and commitments.

• Consider the effect of growth on participants, workers and communities before proceeding.

  
  

What Success Will Look Like

Success will mean DCIRS continues to be a trusted and connected regional provider, responds responsibly to community need and grows only where safe, sustainable and values-aligned services can be maintained.

GOVERNANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY

DCIRS Community Care is committed to governance arrangements that support accountability, ethical decision-making, participant safety, service quality and organisational sustainability.

Governance oversight is supported through the Board of Governance and its committees. These arrangements help DCIRS consider strategic direction, risk, audit, workforce, quality, safeguarding, compliance and continual improvement.

Operational responsibility remains with the Managing Director and management team. This separation helps maintain clear accountability between governance oversight and the day-to-day management of services.

Participant rights, voice, choice and lived experience remain central to our governance approach. DCIRS is committed to providing meaningful opportunities for participants and people with lived experience to contribute to matters that affect service quality, safeguarding and organisational development.

MONITORING OUR PROGRESS

This Strategic Plan is intended to remain active throughout the 2027–2030 period.

DCIRS will monitor progress through appropriate governance oversight, organisational reporting, participant and workforce feedback, quality and safeguarding information, financial monitoring, risk management and continual improvement activities.

The plan will be reviewed regularly to ensure it remains relevant, achievable and aligned with:

• Participant needs and outcomes.

• Service quality and safeguarding expectations.

• Workforce capability.

• Organisational sustainability.

• Community and stakeholder feedback.

• Legislative, regulatory and sector changes.

• DCIRS Community Care’s purpose, mission, vision and values.

  
  

Where priorities need to change, DCIRS will respond thoughtfully while remaining focused on participant safety, service continuity and community trust.

OUR PICTURE OF SUCCESS BY 2030

By 2030, DCIRS Community Care aims to be recognised as a trusted and respected regional provider known for person-centred support, meaningful participant outcomes, strong community relationships and high standards of service delivery.

Participants will be supported to live with independence, dignity, connection and choice. Staff will feel valued, supported and connected to the organisation’s purpose. Governance, quality and safeguarding systems will continue to mature, and organisational decisions will remain grounded in responsibility, transparency and continual improvement.

Success will not be measured solely by organisational size or growth.

Success will be demonstrated through our ability to:

• Strengthen communities.

• Support meaningful participant outcomes.

• Provide safe, respectful and reliable services.

• Maintain the trust of participants, families, workers and community partners.

• Remain true to the values and relationships that define DCIRS Community Care.

STRATEGIC THEMES AT A GLANCE

Participant Outcomes

Supporting independence, dignity, goals, participation, wellbeing, choice and community connection.

Quality and Safeguarding Maintaining safe, accountable and high-quality supports while learning and improving.

Workforce Excellence

Building a capable, supported and values-driven workforce.

Financial Sustainability

Managing resources responsibly to support reliable and sustainable services.

Community and Organisational Growth

Strengthening relationships and responding responsibly to community need while protecting quality, safety and trust.

VERSION AND REVIEW INFORMATION

The plan will be reviewed regularly during the 2027–2030 planning period.

Version 1.0: 3 September 2026 Document Owner: DCIRS Community Care Approval Authority: Board of Governance Committee

© 2026 DCIRS Community Care Pty. Ltd. All rights reserved. This plan is the intellectual property of DCIRS Community Care. No part of this document may be reproduced, distributed, copied, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, digital scraping, or other electronic methods, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.