NADO Annual Report 2021-2022

NADO 2021-22
annual report

NADO Annual Report 2021-22 1
TABLE OF
contents
reports
President’s Report.........................................................................................4 - 5
Chief Executive Officer’s Report.................................................................6 - 7
Treasurer’s Report.........................................................................................8 - 9
Governance Board....................................................................................10 - 11
Strategic Plan 2022/2025...................................................................... 12 - 13
Service Delivery Report........................................................................... 14 - 15
Human Resources Report...................................................................... 16 - 17
Accommodation Report......................................................................... 18 - 19
Community Programs Report...............................................................20 - 21
Support Coordination Report.........................................................................22
Plan Management Report..............................................................................23
Marketing Report...................................................................................... 24 - 25
Community Engagement and Sponsorship Report.......................... 26 - 27
Quality Assurance and Compliance Report................................................28
Sensory Store Report......................................................................................29
programs and stories
Share My Ability Official Opening..................................................................32
Contribution, a Photovoice Gallery Event....................................................33
Achieving Independence.................................................................................33
All-Abilities National Touch League..............................................................34
Community Programs Participant Achievement....................................... 35
financials
Extract Financial Report......................................................................... 39 - 41
community
Friends of NADO Charity Golf Day........................................................ 44 - 47
Friends of NADO...............................................................................................48

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eports
NADO Annual Report 2021-22 3

4
president's
REPORT
Percy Madon
President
The world has emerged from the
pandemic a little scarred, a little
damaged but on the whole a lot
stronger for the experience.

NADO Annual Report 2021-22 5
As I reflect on the last 3 years for
NADO I can truly say that we have
grown, become more resilient, but
most importantly have learnt just
how vulnerable our participants
are and the role we have to play in
taking care of them.
In about 6 months the NDIS will be
10 years young, and as Australians
we have so much to be proud
of in the way we care for people
of all abilities. I am sure over
the coming decade the scheme
will evolve further and provide
continued support to those in our
communities who need it most.
I have referred in past reports
around the growth of our
organisation, and with immense
pride and joy I report that NADO
has been certified as a “Great
Place to Work”. This in addition to
being recognised it as a winner
for “Employer of Choice” in the
Australian Business Awards 2021
is a testament to our people and
the passion they bring to everything
they do.
We continue to invest in our
communities and “Share My Ability”
has been a very welcome addition
to the Penrith local area. We further
recognise our role in connecting
our communities, and to this effect
we are committed to making this
endeavour a success.
Our CEO Denise Heath and the
extended executive team continue
to inspire the organisation to
reach new heights and serve the
community to the best of
its abilities.
Regeneration and evolution of
the Board remains a constant.
I’d like to give my thanks to
Sue Fryer, outgoing Director and
I am delighted to welcome Susan
Rochester to the board as a new
Director. Susan brings with her
tremendous experience around
work place culture and its role
in our lives. I would also like to
acknowledge and thank my fellow
board members Ray Dyer, Anil Puri,
Vanessa Griffin and Sam Arnold for
their continued investment
in NADO.
Let me close by quoting Churchill
“We make a living by what we get ,
but we make a life by what we give”,
a credo by which we live at NADO.

6
chief
executive
officer's
REPORT
Denise Heath
Chief Executive Officer
In August 2022, NDIS reported
on its ninth year of operations,
announcing that at the end of
June 2022 there were 535,000
participants in the scheme
nationwide with expenditure
of $27.6b.
It would be fair to describe the
past year as one of contrasts with
many achievements as well as
challenges.
This year COVID-19 presented a
more difficult set of circumstances,
with a lock down of our communitybased
services in the months of
July through to the end of October
2021, directly impacting our ability
to provide community-based
services for that period as well as
in the subsequent months when
the virus was still circulating quite
widely.
Where possible, we supported
some participants with on-line and
outdoor activities, but in the main
staff effected by the lockdown were
provided opportunities to work
with our accommodation service
or relied on leave provisions and
Government support.
Vaccines were mandated, permits
were required for staff living or
working in some suburbs and

NADO Annual Report 2021-22 7
specialist COVID teams and
procedures set up. It was a tough
time for many people.
The lifting of restrictions in late
October coincided with another
overwhelming spread of COVID-19
over the Christmas period, affecting
some group home residents and
placing pressure on our rostering
system.
We were able to overcome the
challenges put before us because
of our ability to pull together,
problem solve and successfully
implement responses to problems
we haven’t experienced before, the
success of which was only possible
because of outstanding individual
and team efforts.
Our ability to sustain and rebuild our
services throughout this tumultuous
time are attributable to the support
received through the NDIS COVID-19
funding initiatives together with
NADO’s COVID-19 financial strategy,
where provisions were set aside
in the prior year to ensure service
continuity in pandemic conditions
in future years. Our end of year
surplus of 4.9% maintains NADO’s
healthy position for future growth
and renewal.
With the pandemic as a backdrop
to life as we knew it, we were
still able to maintain our brilliant
staff culture, achieving both the
Employer of Choice Business
Award and Great Place to Work
certification, more about that later
in this report.
We also proudly opened Share My
Ability, a sensory activity centre
based in Penrith. What I love about
Share My Ability is the way it
continues to evolve as we seek to
meet the needs of our community,
with an inclusive approach that
offers a welcoming space that all
members of the family can enjoy.
This year, to further enhance
our growth in accommodation
support, NADO purchased a large
5 bedroom property in Colyton to
be renovated to a high standard
of accessible housing. We look
forward to the property becoming
a beautiful and functional home
for people seeking supported
accommodation.
NADO’s Board and executive team
resolved the new Strategic Plan for
2022-2025, with considered plans
for growth and sustainability. An
outcome of the planning process
was the renewal of our Vision
statement; “Changing Lives through
Connected Communities”. This
clearly describes the way NADO
works to bring opportunities and
achieve goals through the strong
connections we have built over
many years of working in the
Nepean community.
Together with a new Vision we set
to work on revisiting our Values.
Through workforce consultation
our new Values were agreed as
Respect, Teamwork and Inclusion.
These Values are our guiding
principles and beliefs, defining
who we are as a disability service
provider, an employer and as a
community partner.
We are grateful for the generous
support from our Friends of NADO
program, business sponsorships
as well as Government and
Club grants, all of which is put
to projects and resources that
enhance our services for people
with disability.
I would like to thank the Board
of NADO for their commitment
to excellence as both a service
provider and as an employer.
Their steerage of NADO is a critical
factor in our success.
I would also like to thank everyone
on the NADO team this year, more
has been asked of you than ever
before and each person has risen to
the challenge. In particular, I would
like to thank the executive team,
Brooke Wilkie, Mark Heinz, Julia
Tierney, Ellen McFarlane, Deborah
Ferreira and Linda Wilson who go
over and beyond every day for the
betterment of NADO.
Looking forward to the year ahead,
I know that we will continue to
work through every challenge that
comes our way. We will return to
the vibrant community focused
service we are known to be and
continue to Change Lives through
Connected Communities.

8
NADO experienced a solid result in
a challenging year, with continued
growth in income, being 4.4%
higher than FY2021. Total Income
was $19,081,618 for FY2022, with
a healthy surplus of $942,541
(down from $1,287,199 in FY2021).
treasurer's
REPORT
Anil Puri
Treasurer
Despite it being a challenging year
for NADO, with COVID impacting
many of our services, we ended
the year with a sound result with
the aid of government and NDIS
COVID support, plus operational
adjustments to manage our financial
position while still supporting our
participants and staff.
And while our financial position
is important to ensure that NADO
can continue to invest in and
provide the high standard of service
expected by our participants, I
would like to start my report by
acknowledging the hard work and
dedication of the entire NADO team
as they showed resilience and
flexibility in coping with the COVID
disruptions during the year.
We had an extended lockdown from
July to October which meant that
many staff were displaced, plus
Sydney had a further COVID wave
in December and January which
affected participants and staff alike,
especially in our accommodation
settings. All of these disruptions
meant a lot of extra effort from the
management team and the entire
staff to adjust and make changes
to ensure that our participants were
kept safe and provided with the
care and support that they needed.
These COVID disruptions had a
major impact on our Day Programs
and Connect services during the
year with these services suspended
or greatly reduced for several
months, and it took an extended
period for participants to slowly
return. The Connect service also
shifted to more 1:1 and smaller
group formats which meant higher
staff costs to provide this service.

NADO Annual Report 2021-22 9
On the flip side, our accommodation
services were busier during the
lockdown as more clients were
confined to their homes and needed
additional support during this time.
We also had new homes becoming
fully operational during the year
which made a further positive
contribution to the overall result.
Our accommodation services
are an increasingly important
part of our service mix, and they
are another important part of
helping our participants to lead
independent and fulfilled lives.
During the year, we also launched
our Share My Ability sensory
activity facility. This has been a
substantial investment for NADO,
both during its construction and
during its establishment phase.
The facility is growing in popularity
and continues to receive fantastic
feedback from those visiting and
using the facility. It is another
important service for our clients
and another way for NADO to
broaden its range of services and
foster connections throughout the
community.
Our overall result, while down on
the previous year, is still a healthy
margin of 4.9% of total revenue.
And this is after the substantial
disruptions NADO experienced
during the year, the launch of
the Share My Ability facility, and
the investment in new homes to
service the community.
Our balance sheet position
continues to remain healthy,
with cash reserves growing
slightly during the year despite
the investments made. The
government’s Job Saver COVID
support assisted with this and
allows us to have reserves in
place to continue to support the
organisation as we rebuild certain
services after the impact of COVID.
It also provides us with the ability to
better cope with any further COVID
disruptions in the future.
The board continues to closely
monitor the changing competitive
and regulatory environment
that NADO operates in and is
committed to ensuring that the
organisation remains financially
strong and stable. This not only
means monitoring operational
results but also regularly
reviewing our strategic direction
and opportunities to invest in
projects to diversify NADO’s
range of services in a prudent and
responsible way.
Mark Heinz
Chief Financial Officer
The year ending June 2022
has been another difficult year
adapting to the changes that
COVID has presented us with.
Both my team and myself
managed to work flexibly over
much of this time with the need
to work remotely for extended
periods which required good
communication between us all.
Although the year was challenging
the end result was that all
deadlines were met and the end of
financial year went very smoothly.
We are fortunate to work with a
CEO, management team and staff
that are cohesive and committed
to the high standard of service
and care that NADO is well-known
for. We are hoping that the COVID
disruptions are behind us as we
look forward to continued success,
growth and new opportunities into
the future.
I would sincerely like to thank
my team Bhaumika Patel –
Finance Officer, Brigitte Sirocic –
Bookkeeper, and Lisa Devery –
Accounts Officer for their continued
hard work and dedication that they
constantly display. It is a pleasure
working with them all. We also
welcomed Andrew Cleary who
commenced at the end of June as
Property and Fleet Manager.
I would like to thank the executive
team for their support throughout
the year, especially Denise Heath as
always for providing such fantastic
support and guidances, as well
as Anil Puri – Treasurer, for his
continued support.
NADO has made a healthy surplus
for the year considering the
challenges that COVID brought
to the organisation. The financial
assistance received through the
NDIS and the Federal Government
allowed NADO to continue its
service over this period as well as
allowing provisions for future years.
I look forward to the year ahead.

10
Percy Madon
President
governance
BOARD
Percy Madon commenced on
the Board of NADO in 2013 and
specialises in business leadership
and management. Percy has
worked with multinationals
including SAP, IBM, PWC and E&Y
and holds a Masters in Business
Administration (MBA). He brings
commercial experience and a
passion for supporting people with
disabilities. Percy’s commercial
experience assists NADO’s
transformation into a market-driven
model under the NDIS.
Anil Puri
Treasurer
Anil Puri commenced on the Board
of NADO in 2014 and specialises
in business development, financial
management, organisational
systems and team development.
He is a trained accountant with
a Masters of Management and
has many years of experience
working in corporate businesses.
Anil is passionate about helping
individuals and is committed to
assisting NADO adapt and grow in
a changing environment.

NADO Annual Report 2021-22 11
Vanessa Griffin
Vice President
Vanessa Griffin commenced on the
Board of NADO in 2019. Vanessa
practised as a Registered Building
Surveyor for over 20 years prior to
specialising in the field of access,
which was her passion and interest
and is now a registered Access
Consultant with AACA. She brings
a skill set and knowledge to ensure
the built environment is accessible
for all and inclusive. Vanessa is
a parent to a child with a genetic
disability.
Ray Dyer
Secretary
Ray Dyer commenced on the Board
of NADO in 2010 and was President
between 2014 and 2019. Ray has
been a long-time NADO supporter,
bringing a well-rounded background
of relevant professional experience
in human resources, management,
worker's compensation and training
together with a personal interest in
supporting people with disabilities
to be included as valued members
of our community.
Samuel Arnold
Director
Dr Samuel Arnold commenced
on the Board of NADO in 2017.
He is a registered psychologist
and works as a lecturer in the
Department of Developmental
Disability Neuropsychiatry (3DN)
UNSW Sydney. He is currently
the convenor of the Australian
Psychological Society Psychology
of Intellectual Disability and Autism
Interest Group. Sam is passionate
about the empowerment of people
with disability to pursue a chosen
valued life.
Susan Rochester
Director
Susan Rochester joined the Board
in 2022. Susan has a Masters in
Human Resource Management
and has run a HR consulting and
coaching practice since 1998.
As a parent of an adult living with
a disability, Susan is motivated
to apply her business and personal
experience to helping NADO
achieve its Vision.

12

NADO Annual Report 2021-22 13

14
service
delivery
REPORT
Brooke Wilkie
General Manager - Operations
It’s impossible to report on the
21/22 year without reference to
the significant impact of COVID-19
on our services.
As with the rest of the community,
restrictions and closures were
imposed on all of our communitybased
programs and a great deal
of effort, ideas and teamwork were
employed to ensure the safety of
participants and staff, as well as
continuity of critical services.
Online Zoom meetings became the
norm and together with facetime
and phone calls we stayed in
touch with staff, families, and
participants.
Difficult times often bring out the
best which was evident with the
flexibility and commitment that our
team showed with their availability
to work in different locations,
train up and implement infection
control procedures and continue
to provide services to people who
were positive to COVID or a close
contact. The Coordinators also
worked flexibly, changing plans
at short notice due to the ever
changing restrictions.

NADO Annual Report 2021-22 15
Our COVID-19 Team was
established to manage programs
and infection control, cover day
to day rostering requirements,
and provide a constant stream of
communication, vital to the team
effort. Vanessa Vella-Adams,
Jessica Spiteri, Jeremy Voorn,
Kylie Loadsman and Carey Tidyman
thank you for your assistance
during this time.
A restructure identified the growing
need for additional management
support across our growing
community program services.
In February 2022, we welcomed
Brendan Oldman to the new role
of Community Programs Manager.
Brendan brings a wealth of
management experience across
a range of community service areas
including Child Protection and
NDIS services.
The restructure saw an initial
reduction of my direct team
including Brendan Oldman,
Vanessa Vella-Adams, Vanessa
Santucci, Sharon Mason and Trudy
Smith; however, the gap was soon
filled by the realignment of Share
My Ability to my management
responsibilities.
I would like to thank Tracy Smith
for her work in the shaping of Share
My Ability and support of the Allied
Health Team.
I would also like to mention
the significant efforts of the
Accommodation Team led by
Vanessa Vella-Adams. NADO’s
accommodation services
commenced six years ago, prior to
that, our focus was on communitybased
services. In those six years,
under Vanessa’s management,
we have seen year on year growth
as we aim to meet the requests
for support and unlike many
accommodation providers, we have
experienced minimal periods of
vacancies because of the interest
in our services. Last year we also
increased our capacity to provide
short term accommodation which
continues to support families with
a respite effect, but more and
more the focus has turned to the
participant seeking a break for
themselves as well as trialing a
more independent life.
NADO’s Plan Management Services
took a positive step forward with
the introduction of software that
provides an interface for the
participant so they can see how
their funding is tracking. The new
software should also streamline
our processes enabling further
growth of this service. I’d like
to thank Vanessa Santucci and
Bhaumika Patel for their caring
and professional approach to
customer service and their patience
and perseverance with the new
software implementation.
It was also wonderful to see the
opportunities for development in
our Support Coordination Team, led
by Sharon Morrison, with new roles
created and filled after an open
process by NADO staff seeking
opportunities for professional
growth. It's great to see that we
can recognise our talent, retain and
grow our people into the future.
I look forward to the next 12 months
of growth and new ventures.
Thank you to all the team and
my colleagues for working
together tirelessly during our most
challenging year to date.

16
human
resources
REPORT
Julia Tierney
Human Resources Manager
Another fantastic year at
NADO with great achievements
accomplished for the team to be
proud of.
In my last report, I mentioned
that NADO was being considered
for the Employer of Choice
Business Award. The Employer of
Choice Award recognises leading
workplaces that maximise the
full potential of their workforce
through established policies and
practices. We had to demonstrate
our achievements across key areas
such as, organisational culture and
leadership, employee education,
training and development,
employee health and safety,
performance management and
recognition and remuneration.

NADO Annual Report 2021-22 17
We are proud to say, we received
the Employer of Choice Award.
We also took the opportunity to
survey our workforce to see if we
would be eligible to receive the
Great Place to Work certification.
A great place to work model and
methodology is one in which you
trust the people you work for, have
pride in what you do, and enjoy the
people you work with. Aligned by
three key relationships that makes
a great workplace, Management,
Job and Employees.
We are proud to say that our
employees trust the people they
work with, they have pride in what
they do and they enjoy working
with their colleagues. This has then
enabled us to receive the Great
Place to Work certification. The
voice of our people has spoken.
By receiving these two awards,
it demonstrates the strong culture
we have embedded within the
workplace from all levels within
NADO. We are very proud of our
team and are fortunate to be part
of an environment where no matter
which title you hold, each and
every one of us, make it a great
place to work.
Congratulations team NADO on
receiving these meaningful and
valuable awards.
Every year, our employees vote for
who should receive the Employee
of the Year Award based on the
Quarterly Employee Excellence
Award recipients. This financial
year, the votes where so close that
we ended up with two Employee of
the Year recipients. Congratulations
Ann Schmitz - Customer Service
and Rehana Buksh - Team Leader
for St Marys Day Program, both
taking out the Employee of the
Year Award proudly sponsored
by Reozone. Your colleagues see
great value in the work you do and
the NADO values you demonstrate
daily. Congratulations also to all the
2021-2022 nominees.
We have participated in local events
which have presented the chance
to expand the awareness of the
NADO brand through our local high
school communities and career
expos. These events help spread
knowledge of opportunity within
NADO around work experience
and create awareness for future
employment as part of NADO’s
recruitment strategy.
Before I close off, I wanted to
take the opportunity to thank
each and every employee at
NADO. Their continued support
during challenging times and the
commitment to their position,
is what makes NADO a great place
to work. We value each and every
one of you.
Lastly to my team, we welcomed
Gillian Venturoso into the NADO
HR team in November and she has
shown dedication and a hunger to
learn and grow. Her promptness
and efficiencies have created solid
administration and compliance and
her efforts are greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
To Ann Schmitz, thank you for
your ongoing support, you are
always there to help no matter
what the task is, you are pleasant
with a wise nature which is next to
none and of course, being one to
receive the Employee of the Year
Award is next level.

18
accommodation
REPORT
Vanessa Vella-Adams
Accommodation Manager
NADO currently supports 35
participants to live in Supported
Independent Living (SIL) across
the Penrith/St Mary’s region.
With a diverse range of support
needs, each participant is
supported to build independence,
be active in decision making and
to be an integral member of their
community.
A new SIL property in Glenmore
Park opened in October 2021 with
three young women settling well
into their new home, attaining
their goal of moving into SIL
accommodation. In preparation for
their transition, they resided in our
short-term accommodation, where
they were able to get to know each
other before moving in together.
Purchasing furniture in the midst of
a pandemic was not the easiest of
tasks, but without a doubt we knew
we could make a beautiful home
and what a beautiful home it is.
Before we knew it, Christmas was
here between decorating the house
and tree and buying presents for
family and friends, they were excited
to have their first Christmas in
their own home together. Together
they bring to their home creativity,
laughter and a sense of belonging.

NADO Annual Report 2021-22 19
The mid to end of 2021 and into
2022 has seen yet another year of
disruption with COVID pandemic.
This time with some of the hardest
lock down restrictions placed on all
of us. At times it seemed it would
never end and looking for the light
at the end of the tunnel seemed far
away! But as always, we made the
best we could of the situation and
persevered and supported each
other through the restrictions.
Each week we would set an “around
the world theme” to have the
residents participate in a themed
dinner and/or activity and the
response and involvement was
that of enthusiasm and energy
from everyone including the staff.
There was great creativity and
competiveness in each home,
even though not being present, the
excitement was evident when it
was time to reveal the “theme” and
then even more excitement when
the winner was announced.
Some days were harder than
others, keeping everyone safe
was our main priority. We
banded together to ensure that
continuation of supports was
provided as close as possible
to each of the participants daily
routine and that each day was seen
as a new day with new in home
adventures.
2021 drew to an end and as COVID
restrictions eased, we saw new
places and opportunities in our
community that felt like something
of the distant past! Just as we
settled into Christmas and excited
for what the New Year would bring,
we were hit yet again with another
COVID wave. Now you would think
that having just been through this
that it would be easy to revert
back to restriction life! No, not in
the slightest. But we ensured we
made the best of the situation and
provided enjoyment and activities
in each of the homes.
Early 2022 saw COVID restrictions
mostly lifted, and routines and life
gradually started to go back to pre-
COVID ways.
Holidays were a must for some
of our participants who had been
eagerly awaiting, some of them up
to 2 years, to be able to relax and
enjoy time away.
Others it was to spend time with
family and friends. One thing that
was greatly appreciated was being
able to be out in the community
and to be with friends and families.
Short term accommodation
continued to provide services
throughout the COVID outbreak
late 2021 and into early 2022
to participants and families in
need. Whilst managing the risk of
COVID and maintaining the safety
for all participants and staff at
both St Mary’s and Winmalee, we
successfully ensured availability
and continuation of these supports
in what was challenging times.
Short term accommodation is
an opportunity for people with
a disability to have time away
from home, it provides people
with a caring, safe and supportive
environment where their daily
routines are maintained. Short term
accommodation also provides
opportunities for participants
who are looking for suitable
long term SIL placement to be
supported whilst options are being
explored. Over the past 12 months
St Mary’s and Winmalee short
term accommodation have been
the steppingstones for several
participants as they seek SIL
housing, offering opportunities to
gain independence and learn to live
an adult life away from their family.
Short term accommodation is an
invaluable service to people with
a disability and we look forward to
continuing to provide service and
supports to all our participants and
families over the next 12 months.
I would like to thank the
Accommodation Team Leaders
who continued throughout COVID
to work from the houses and
support not only each of our
participants, but also all of the
staff and each other; Victor Santos,
Narelle Henderson, Michelle
Edwards, Wendy Scott, Michelle
Felstead, Deepak Saxena, Danielle
Privett, Karen Daly, Courtney Vitek,
Lynelle Rafter, Donna Newton, Tina
Carroll, Lydia Ho, Brian Anderson
and Dannielle Merritt.
Our Accommodation Coordinators;
Kylie Loadsman, Aga Rogoz,
Limcy Sunil, Yusdi Maksum,
Jeremy Voorn and newly appointed
Donna Newton thank you –
you have continued to lead,
work together as a team and
ensure that we continue to provide
quality supports.
A special thank you to Carey
Tidyman who stepped in to assist
during COVID restrictions.
A big thank you to all our support
staff, the past 12 months have
brought challenges that we would
never have thought we would be
presented with. Each and every
one of you have turned up to work
each day with the goal of ensuring
our participants are provided with
a safe and supportive environment.
You are the essence of what we do.
Thank you again.

20
community
programs
REPORT
Brendan Oldman
Community Programs Manager
The last twelve months has seen
us go from the extremes of a
COVID world, with lockdowns,
heavy restrictions, then coming
out of lockdown finally at the end
of October. In this time NADO has
pulled together and come out
charging into the new world of
living life with COVID-19.
Prior to my commencement in
February 2022, I had only heard
great things about NADO, and how
it’s the place to be as far as working
in the Community Sector. Since
starting, my initial positive thoughts
of how great NADO is have been
greatly exceeded.
Adapting to COVID-19 was not
without its challenges. With a
lockdown to bring in the new
Financial Year 2021-22, the team
were already off to a tricky start.
All Community Programs were put
to a halt until October 2021, with
a very limited amount of supports
occurring. In saying this, our staff
never stopped working. We had
a number of Coordinators, Team
Leaders and staff put their hand up
to help out in our Accommodation
programs. A credit to all involved
in working through this period
in our houses, and those who
assisted with the COVID-19 on-call

NADO Annual Report 2021-22 21
taskforce. The flexibility shown
by staff throughout the lockdown
period, and periods with heavy
restrictions prove how people
can come together in times of
unprecedented adversity. Even now,
the willingness from the team to
jump in, help out and get on with
the job is always a marvel to watch.
Our Day Programs are back in action!
The work that our committed
Day Program Coordinators are
putting in has been amazing.
Suzanne Giordano, Tina Khalifeh
and Carey Tidyman have been
working extensively to get our Day
Programs up and running after our
summer lockdown ended. We’ve
seen some familiar participants
return, and new participants join
the NADO family. We saw Suzanne
tick over 25 years of service with
NADO, and Carey Tidyman has
excitedly accepted a permanent
role of Day Program Coordinator.
With some consistency coming
back into play after a COVID
dominated couple of years, we
know that our Coordinators, along
with their trusted Team Leaders,
Cherry Silvero, Celeste Bucknall,
Rehana Buksh, Harmony Lebens
and Julie Jardine can further grow
our programs across the Nepean
and Blue Mountains, helping our
participants to thrive in life and kick
some serious goals!
Our ‘Team You’ program, led by
our Coordinators Megan Hayes,
Jackie Long and Anabelle Wells
has grown exponentially. The team
have been focusing on helping our
participants identify their goals and
matching the right support staff
to help them achieve these. To
say this has been a success is an
understatement, with the program
continuing to thrive, we can’t wait
to see the growth that will come
with it. The team aim to continue
providing a tailored, personalised
service, all the while looking
forward to new participants and
support staff joining the team.
After a rough trot of having nil to no
services due to COVID, our NADO
Social Club has kicked back into
swing. Our Coordinator Rebecca
Smale, has been recently joined
by Team Leader Janelle Butfield
who have both been exploring new
activities, helping participants try
new things, facilitating people to
maintain friendships, and make
new ones.
Our regular activities such as
Bowling, Social Dinners, and
Rugby League have been popular
choices. Whilst some other popular
activities have been Putt Putt Golf,
a Prince Tribute Show, along with
other exciting performances and
activities. Our tailored Adult Flexi-
Groups have also gained some
traction, with services getting back
on track heading into the 2022-
2023 financial year.
Children Services have been once
again a popular choice for families
in the Nepean/Blue Mountains
region. Our Coordinator Jessica
Spiteri has been working tirelessly
to build our Saturday KidZone
groups, as well as finding new ways
to help our 1:1 kid services grow.
Whilst our January school holidays
program was marred by COVID, our
April school holidays program was
a huge success. I was able to sneak
into the program a few days myself
to see what the fuss was about.
The smiles on our participant’s
faces (and even our staff) were
infectious. With the program
having such high interest, we will
be advertising for a new part-time
Team Leader role to commence in
August of 2022. There is no doubt
we will be heading into 2023 bigger
and better than ever where our
child-related services are involved.
I have mentioned our amazing
Community Programs Coordinators
and Team Leaders. I also need
to mention our amazing Support
Workers. Without them out in the
community, we wouldn’t have
the opportunity to provide the
high-quality services we do. I’ve
observed our Support Workers
with our participants and have
witnessed first-hand the positive
work that goes into helping them
achieve such meaningful goals, and
support them to simply have some
fun when out and about.
With our new financial year
commencing, we have some
extremely exciting things happening
across our Community Programs.
I’ve certainly enjoyed the first few
months of my journey with NADO,
I’ve been able to spend time with
many amazing participants and
their families. NADO’s slogan is
‘Live Your Way’, the programs I have
the privilege of overseeing certainly
allow people to do just that.
To wrap it up, I’d like to thank
Brooke Wilkie for her support and
guidance in the first few months
I have been in the role. I truly look
forward to the next twelve months
and what we can achieve as a team
and as a community.

22
support
coordination
REPORT
Sharon Morrison
Support Coordination, Team Leader
The Support Coordination team
started out our year heading into
COVID lock down and learnt to
adapt to different working styles
working from home to supporting
our participants without being
able to meet face to face
throughout the months from July
to November.
At this time there were lots of
changes happening not only around
the world, but in our participant’s
lives with some programs and
supports not being able to continue
and families being left with the
uncertainty around the changes that
were happening within the COVID
space. The Support Coordination
team where lucky enough to be
able to continue to provide ongoing
support to our participant’s families
and carers during this difficult time
and were still able to achieve some
fantastic outcomes.
November hit and it was time to
head back into our office, only
this time we relocate to a new
office space in Penrith. The team
was very excited to be able to
start transitioning back together
on a rotating roster, however,
unfortunately, the building was
severely damaged due to a fire and
we were unable to return. The team
worked from home for the next few
months and in March returned to
the Lemongrove office space.
The Support Coordination team
consisted of five team members in
the early part of 2022 and due to
the increase in referrals for Support
Coordination services, this allowed
for growth and we were able to
recruit and now have six fulltime
team members. With the continued
referrals that are being received to
our service we will continue to grow
our team in 2022-23.
The Support Coordination team
continues to learn and navigate
the ever-changing NDIS, as at
times this can be challenging for
our participants.
Support Coordination is also very
rewarding when you are able to
support a participant in achieving
their individual goals whether that
be disability related or main stream
community supports.
I would like to finish by thanking
the Support Coordination team,
Bianca Hearnden (Xuereb),
Jess Burnic, Alex Stevens,
Morgan Carbone, Riana Stevens
and Marlin (Spencer) Nau for all
of your ongoing support that you
provide our participants.

NADO Annual Report 2021-22 23
plan
management
REPORT
Vanessa Santucci
Plan Management Coordinator
A busy and challenging year for
our Plan Management team that
saw an expansion in growth.
Plan Management gives people
more choice and control, without
the extra burden of managing their
NDIS funds.
The Plan Management team
manages NDIS claims and
disburses funds to providers
for services delivered. Our team
also manages and monitors our
participants’ budgets, as well as
provide them with detailed monthly
statements.
This last financial year has been a
busy time for the Plan Management
team with 145 Plan Management
Participants.
The first four months of 2022-23
saw us adjusting to new ways
of living and new ways of
working which included; online
zoom meetings in our homes to
overcome the challenges of COVID,
and to maintain our services for our
Plan Management Participants.
As the pandemic continued, our
team continued with ‘check ins’
with our participants whether it be
a phone call, online zoom call, or a
cuppa with a friendly face.
Fortunately NDIS adopted a flexible
approach with low cost Assistive
Technology items which saw our
participants purchasing smart
devices which enabled supports to
continue via telehealth and video
conferencing platforms.
April 2022 was an exciting month
for the Plan Management team
with the introduction of our
new Plan Management Portal –
Careview Advantage, offering
an interactive screen allowing our
participants to view all the data
in real time associated with their
NDIS plan.
Lastly, I’d like to thank Bhaumika
Patel and Lisa Devery in our
Accounts department who work
tirelessly to ensure our plan
management invoicing runs
smoothly. Know that all your
hard work is recognised and
greatly appreciated.

24
marketing
REPORT
Deborah Ferreira
Marketing Manager
As the pandemic and lockdowns
continued into the following
financial year, it provided a
different flavour of marketing
opportunities for NADO.
Communication with our key stake
holders remained a priority during
this period to ensure everyone was
kept well informed of our service
availability and the steps we were
taking to ensure the health and
safety of our staff, parents/carers
and participants. As restrictions
eased, we saw a movement
back into a sense of normality,
where digital and print methods
were re-instated to promote the
organisation and extend positive
brand awareness.
A major project that Marketing
helped to facilitate this year was the
opening of our new Sensory Activity
Centre, Share My Ability, an inclusive
recreational centre that is available
to people of all ages and abilities
and the first of its kind within the
Nepean / Blue Mountain region.
From providing support in the early
planning stages and continuing
into the opening of the centre in
February 2022, Marketing set about
creating a strategic advertising plan
that covered a robust degree of
touch points with the focus to attain

NADO Annual Report 2021-22 25
maximum brand awareness during
the early opening phase to capture
the attention of our local community.
Although being a relatively new
business, the data collected thus
far regarding feedback from the
community and participants has
been very positive and encouraging.
Future plans for the centre include
developing a new sensory room,
extending allied health opportunities
and creating an exciting range of
new programs that are suitable and
engaging across all age groups.
One of the highlights was at the
official opening, where we came
together to celebrate the success
of our hard work. NADO Board
Members and dignitaries including
Stuart Ayres, MP and Deputy Mayor
Penrith Councillor John Thain also
attended this event in support of
the new centre.
In conjunction with HR, Marketing
was thrilled on achieving the
2021 Employer of Choice and
Great Place to Work certifications.
The attainment of these awards
strengthens the brand and
credibility of NADO in addition to
providing a sense of pride across
the organisation.
Throughout the ongoing challenges
of the pandemic, a focus for
Marketing was to provide a
continuance of communication
to all our key stake holders to
keep them informed of what
services were available, how we
were supporting our participants
and families, as well as following
national and state directives to
ensure the health and safety
across our organisation. This was
completed in the form of direct
communication and consistent
messaging across social channels
and websites.
As restrictions started easing,
planning commenced for our
in-person event exhibiting at the
Sydney and Nepean Disability
Expo held in December 2021.
The creation of print material,
promotional items and exhibitor
stand design are all key parts of
what Marketing contributes to these
events. This year we promoted
all three of our brands including
NADO, Sensory Store and Share My
Ability. Even though it was the first
“in-person” event in nearly 2 years,
attendee numbers were higher then
expected and we enjoyed having
the opportunity to be able to talk to
people in person whilst promoting
all the great services and products
that we have on offer.
The Sensory Store, now in its fourth
year of operation continues to
grow and flourish. In March 2022
the current retail space located
in head office was expanded as
consumers still have a preference
to ‘see and feel’ during the decisionmaking
process. The product range
of the Sensory Store continues to
expand as trends and new products
become available. We have also had
the benefit of consulting our Allied
Health team and key staff members
for their feedback into items that
are relevant to our specific audience
and target market.
As we move into the new financial
year, there are several exciting
projects that are currently in
momentum. We will be exploring
further into online paid advertising
for both NADO and the Sensory Store
with the aim to capture more of our
direct market. We will be nominating
Share My Ability into the Local
Business Awards 2022 in addition
to filming a new and fresh corporate
video to showcase our team and
services that we provide. Our
photoshoot that has been delayed
for more than two years has also
been scheduled for late July 2022.
A re-fresh of the sensory store
website will commence from
October 2022 and a new chat bot
will be implemented onto the NADO
website early 2023 with the objective
to increase functionality and provide
a positive customer experience with
a faster response time.
The new vision statement
“Changing Lives through Connected
Communities” along with the new
set of values “Respect, Teamwork
and Inclusion" that have been
collaboratively agreed upon by
all key stake holders will also be
implemented across all touch points.
Marketing is constantly growing
and presenting new and diverse
challenges - so adapting to a
changing market is critical.
Therefore - in summary and as
Steve Job states “Master the topic,
the message, and the delivery.”

26
community
engagement
and
sponsorship
REPORT
Linda Wilson
Community Engagement and
Sponsorship Manager
Despite COVID-19 still playing a
huge part in our lives going into
the 2021/22 financial year, this
has been one of the best years
for our fundraising and brand
awareness.
With lock down forcing office staff
to work from home, this again
hindered my ability to network
and bring awareness to our local
business community of the
wonderful work that our staff do
and organise our annual events
we normally attend throughout
the year. With the reduction of
my normal duties, I was happy to
support the HR department for a
time with the onboarding of much
needed staff.
Fortunately, things started to get
back to normal towards the end
of 2021 with a number of events
that continued to get moved back
further and further in the year.
Finally we were able to hold them
early December which certainly
kept me busy with our AGM and
Leadership Conference being
held the first week of December
and then the much anticipated
and needed Sydney and Nepean
Disability Expo’s were both held a
week a part on the first and second
weekend in December.
After moving our 2021 AGM back
a few times to meet with COVID-19
restriction guidelines, we were able
to hold our event with minimal
numbers to welcome in our new
Board of Directors.
Unfortunately, we were not able to
hold our Annual Staff Conference
for a second year, and although
our Annual Leadership Conference
was also delayed by a couple of
months, we were eventually able to
hold it in December. It was so good
to get together as well as have an
informative and motivating day
with Di Tapp, CEO and facilitator of
World Class Teams.
The Sydney Disability Expo, held at
Homebush, was a great opportunity
to promote NADO and the Sensory

NADO Annual Report 2021-22 27
Store. We had a fantastic turnout
despite COVID-19 restrictions
for events just being lifted. The
following weekend, we promoted
our services at the Nepean
Disability Expo, even with the
extreme weather conditions, our
staff were run off their feet talking
to people about what services
we provide, selling sensory store
products, as well as promoting the
opening of our new venture – Share
My Ability – Sensory Activity Centre
located in Penrith.
This year we were fortunate to
receive two significant grants
which contributed to the fitout
of Share My Ability. Through the
NSW Government Community
Builders Grant, we received $25,000
to assist with the build of the
accessible facilities. We are grateful
to Stuart Ayres, Member for Penrith
for his advocacy for this project. We
were also thrilled to receive $23,705
from St Marys Rugby League Club
through ClubsGrant which helped
to purchase a Liberty Swing, a
swing that is built to accommodate
wheelchair users. Additionally, all of
the money raised from last year’s
Friends of NADO Charity Golf Day
also contributed towards the fitout
of Share My Ability.
We are grateful for the support of
our Friends of NADO Charity Golf
Day sponsors, as well as Stuart
Ayres MP and St Marys Rugby
League Club.
We were extremely excited to
officially open our latest initiative
Share My Ability – Sensory Activity
Centre in February 2022. We were
joined by our Board Directors,
the Honourable Stuart Ayres,
Member for Penrith, Deputy Mayor
John Thain, staff, participants and
their families. The down pour of
rain on the day didn’t dampen our
spirits and we thank everyone
who helped us celebrate and for
showing their support.
Each year the NSW Government
awards two recipients from each
local government with the NSW
Government Community Service
Award. This was the perfect
opportunity to recognise Jason
Roberts, owner of Elite Sand and
Soil. Jason supports various
organisations, schools and sporting
groups within our local community
as well as NADO through
donations, where he donated a
defibrillator for Share My Ability as
well as being our key sponsor and
supporting partner of our Friends
of NADO Golf Charity Day. Jason
recently arranged for NADO to be
co-branded on their newest
100-year edition Mack Trident
semi-trailer. This is business
supporting community at its best!
At a surprise ceremony, Stuart
Ayres, Member for Penrith
presented this award to Jason
Roberts. Congratulations Jason, we
are grateful for the support that you
give NADO and acknowledge the
support you give to the community
as a whole. We look forward to
continuing our partnership into the
future.
One thing at NADO we pride
ourselves on is that it is not
aways about receiving from our
community, we also like to give
back where we can. This year
we were delighted to host our
first Biggest Morning Tea. We
would like to thank everyone who
attended and supported our event.
We raised $600 which we were
pleased to donate to the Cancer
Council. Thank you, Mayor Tricia
Hitchen and Stuart Ayres, Member
for Penrith for participating and
supporting our event.
Another event that has become a
part of our annual calendar is the
Greater Western Sydney Careers
Market. As a certified Great Place
to Work and Employer of Choice,
our HR team was super excited
to meet over 5000 students over
the 2-day event, by providing
information about an exciting,
rewarding and fulfilling career with
our organisation.
It’s fantastic to see that events
are now all but back to normal.
We have a jammed pack 2022/23
of events ahead of us, and I’m
excited to be introducing two new
events later in the year which I look
forward to reporting on next year.
I would like to thank the Executive
team for their support throughout
the year, in particular Denise Heath.
Again, your leadership throughout
this unprecedented time has been
nothing short of inspiring. I’d also
like to thank Deborah Ferreira,
Marketing Manager who I work with
closely for every event. Ann Schmitz
for your administration support
throughout the year as well as
Vanessa Santucci for your support
in particular for our Friends of
NADO Charity Golf Day – your help
on this day is greatly appreciated.

28
quality
assurance
and
compliance
REPORT
Ellen McFarlane
Quality Assurance
and Compliance Manager
Similarly to all other corners
of the country, work this year
required adjusting to COVID-19
related tasks. We found ourselves
developing new policies,
processes and forms to support
safe and effective services for
both participants and staff in this
new environment.
The change to working offsite
was the perfect time to set up
systems to support implementation
of electronic signatures for
agreements and was widely
appreciated by participants, families,
and staff. Our average agreement
signoff turnaround time dropped
from weeks to minutes, and paper/
ink consumption decreased by
approximately 23%, contributing to
our sustainability measures.
We successfully re-badged
policies and procedures with the
newer NADO logo and layout
in the process of making them
available to all staff on a web-based
platform. This software enables
all staff to access policies at any
time, and generates information
that assists our compliance
reporting. We maintain an ongoing
program of reviewing policies and
procedures according to their risk
rating, or as a need arises.
Technology plays a large role
in compliance systems, so we
used existing software to enable
safe, secure and temporary
access to essential participant
risk documentation for children’s
programs during activities
in the community.
A big project this year was the
NDIS re-certification audit which
examined all registration codes
across NADO services. This was
an opportunity to conduct some
granular reviews of processes and
documentation through extensive
internal auditing and implement
improvements where required.
It was also the first year we were
audited under the new NDIS Quality
Standards and we required only
two process improvements for
services we may deliver in the
future. We received encouraging
feedback from the external auditors
and are keenly waiting for the new
certificate to arrive in late 2022.
The tasks of a quality assurance
worker cannot happen without
extensive support across the
organisation and I count myself
lucky to work with a committed
and supportive team at NADO.

NADO Annual Report 2021-22 29
Sensory Store
Report
The Sensory Store is now entering
its fourth year and from quite
modest beginnings has seen
substantial growth. It continues to
provide a range of developmental,
sensory and therapy products both
on a national and regional level.
Marketing efforts from this year
saw a range of multi-channel
initiatives including social media,
SEO content writing and direct
email marketing. Competition
is increasing year on year in the
sensory sales space with new
businesses consistently entering
the market and requiring new ‘’out
of the box’’ ideas and strategies be
brought onboard.
To improve customer engagement
and ensure a hassle-free customer
journey, an AI powered chatbot
was implemented into the website.
This ensures 24/7 availability,
instant response, and consistency
of answers. This new initiative has
proved successful with generating
leads, reducing staff resources and
providing a friendly and interactive
feel to the website.
Even though sales from the
Sensory Store were 7.5% less than
from the previous financial year,
this was still a significant figure
during the challenging times of
COVID where in-person sales were
reduced due to ongoing lockdowns
from July to December 2021. It
wasn’t until February 2022 that
we could re-open the doors to the
public so throughout this period the
decision was made to increase the
retail floor space and extend the
product range. This decision proved
to be beneficial with in-person sales
increasing from 12% to 30%.
A segment of the Sensory Store has
also been positioned at Share My
Ability, NADO’s new Sensory Activity
Centre located in Penrith. This
location was chosen due to being
exposed to the direct target market
who may be seeking educational,
therapeutic or support products.
As the world opened again and
restrictions started to ease, the
opportunity to exhibit at both the
Sydney and Nepean Disability
Expo occurred in December 2021.
It was a positive experience and
a great opportunity to increase
the brand awareness of NADO,
Sensory Store and Share My Ability.
A lead generation activity was
generated at these events with
a $200 giveaway pack on offer.
Congratulations to Brittany and
Maria on being the winners.
A partnership with Hoyts Penrith
was initiated in May 2022 in
alignment to their Sensory
Screenings, which provides a more
comfortable sensory environment
to viewers with lower volume and
dimmed lighting. Attendees of these
sessions had the opportunity to
enter a giveaway, with Julie being
the lucky winner (pictured above).
Moving forward, plans for the
Sensory Store include a reskin
of the website to improve its
e-commerce components, refresh
the overall design, continue with
SEO content and implement
marketing automation. Google
Adwords will also be a new initiative
next financial year with the aim to
remain competitive online.
Big thanks to Vanessa Santucci for
all of her assistance in the logistics,
inventory and customer service
components of making the Sensory
Store the success that it has
become today.

30

NADO Annual Report 2021-22 31
program
and stories

32
Share My Ability
Official Opening
It’s been something that the
community of Penrith has been
desperately seeking – it’s very own
indoor inclusive recreational facility
for people of all abilities.
Earlier this year NADO launched
Share My Ability, a purpose built
Sensory Activity Centre which
provides a safe play space for
people of all ages to enjoy and have
fun in a supported environment.
The new centre provides the
local community of Penrith and
surrounding areas a recreational
space that is inclusive, engaging
and interactive. The state-of-theart
equipment is accessible to all
abilities and some of the features
include; a Liberty Swing, Interactive
Projector, Inflatable Bagjump,
Sensory Room, Wheelchair Spin,
Climbing Wall and an onsite
Sensory Store and Cafe.
The centre easily lends itself to
school holiday programs, with Kelly
Sibald, Team leader and Diversional
Therapist developing programs for
Creative Kids sessions, Active Kids
as well as creative art, music and
dance for adults with a disability.
NDIS and Allied Health support
services are also available at
the centre and include both
Physiotherapy and Diversional
Therapy sessions that are available
to the public.
The official opening of the centre
was held on Saturday 26 February
2022 with special guests including
Stuart Ayres MP, Deputy Mayor of
Penrith John Thain together with
local families and participants.
Grants from local businesses
including St Marys Rugby League
Club, the NSW State Government
and funds raised from our Friends
of NADO Charity Golf Day has
helped in assisting the formation
and equipment of the new centre.
“We are very proud to see our new
initiative come to fruition. It has
been challenging over the COVID
period to get the centre up and
running, but we are extremely
happy to be able to offer our
local community for people with
disability a fun and engaging
space to enjoy”
- Denise Heath, NADO CEO.

NADO Annual Report 2021-22 33
Contribution,
a Photovoice Gallery
Event
One of NADO’s long time
participants, Cris Toro was
involved in something unique,
special and exciting this year.
The University of NSW ran a special
event this year called “Contribution, a
Photovoice Gallery Event” where Cris
was invited to display his strengths
of photography, in an event that
celebrated the contributions of
people with an intellectual disability.
The project was run hand-in-hand
with the Endeavour Foundation
Disability Research Fund.
Dr Samuel Arnold, Director of NADO
and lecturer at UNSW was a key
partner in the development of this
project that aimed to demonstrate
the important contributions that
people with intellectual disability
make to their community and family.
Cris had the opportunity to
photograph important aspects
of his life and showcase the
involvement he has with his
community. The main focus of his
works was around his involvement
with NADO Touch Football. Football
plays a large role in Cris’ life, both
socially and physically, the decision
to showcase this was a special one,
as it is part of his identity.
The Contribution, a Photovoice
Gallery Event was held in Kensington
on Thursday 16 June 2022. Cris was
supported by his mother Gloria, his
NADO support worker Peter, Team
You Co-ordinator Anabelle and CEO
of NADO Denise Heath.
To make it that bit more special for
Cris and his fellow exhibitors, the
event was showcased on Channel
Nine news, and broadcast across
the country.
An amazing achievement for Cris,
we are all incredibly proud to see
his work elevated on such a broad
range in the public eye.
“Contribution is good for all of
us, and too often people with
intellectual disability aren’t
given the right support that can
maximise their contribution. We
all need support to contribute, we
are all in this together. Supporting
each other makes life better. Many
thanks to NADO for supporting
Cris as one of our star photovoice
artists, Cris’s work is essential in
helping our team build a deeper
conceptual basis to understand
and measure contribution”.
- Dr Samuel Arnold, a NADO Director
Achieving
Independence
Participants receive supports
through NADO for many different
reasons and at times their
circumstances may change
suddenly.
Kenny is well known to the NADO
team through his participation
in our Day Programs and social
supports.
At 47, he was supported to live at
home by his ageing mother and
brother, however, in July 2021
Kenny’s mother was no longer able
to continue to care for him and the
family reached out to NADO staff
for help.
Kenny was happy to move out of
home to live temporarily at our
short term accommodation (STA)
residence in St Marys, where he
enjoyed the extra social opportunities
that came with shared living. Kenny
loves a good hand of UNO and enjoys
a chat, and quickly became a valued
member of the household. Whilst
residing at St Marys STA, Kenny
continued to attend his weekly Day
Program and maintained regular
visits with his family.
It soon became clear that Kenny
was able to confidently transition to
living independently of his mother
and brother and with the help of his
Support Coordinator, Kenny and his
brother George were able to apply
for Supported Independent Living
(SIL) funding under the NDIS. Kenny
was thrilled when this was approved
and received his plan in May 2022.
Along with George, Kenny voiced his
wishes to continue to have supports
with NADO, this enabled staff
to start the search and together
view SIL properties. One of our
properties in South Penrith was of
keen interest to him because he had
friends living there and he decided
that this property was the house
that he would like to call home.
Kenny is excited to be moving into
his new home scheduled for later in
the year, and has started purchasing
furniture including a new stereo to
play his favorite tunes.
NADO’s staff have played a vital
role, stepping in to support Kenny
when his mother was no longer able
to, ensuring a smooth transition
whilst maintaining his programs,
social activities and family
connections and providing him with
a safe and welcoming home.

34
All-Abilities
National Touch
League
In May 2022 the players from
our NADO Touch Football teams
headed to Coffs Harbour for the
Annual All-Abilities National Finals
where there was a huge turnout of
15 teams within our division.
The All-Abilities Touch Football
Program is an inclusive program
that provides opportunity for people
with intellectual and/or physical
impairments to learn touch skills
and play the sport with their family
members, carers, friends, elite footy
players and the wider community.
With a total of 25 participants and
support staff, all players played a
fantastic competition and made
memorable sporting achievements.
The team spirit was passionate and
inspirational.
NADO was a part of the
competition by setting rules and
regulations in collaboration with
Touch Football Australia which
was an honour. Well done and
congratulations to all those who
participated. We look forward to
another year of competition and
achieving goals.

NADO Annual Report 2021-22 35
Community
Programs
Participant
Achievement
Over the last few months, a
wonderful young man by the name
of Matthew has been attending
our Penrith Central Day Program.
From a shy young man, he has
now been involved in regular
activities, both with staff and his
fellow participants.
Quote from Matthew: “I really like
my 1:1 support days with NADO
where I get to do what I like. I like
going to the movies and to zing
or to buy lego and collector cards.
I like telling my staff about them
when they ask”.
Quote from mum – Patricia Collins,
“Since moving Matthew over from
another provider I have watched
Matthew’s confidence grow.
Matthew seems to have come
out of his shell and is confident in
speaking with not only his staff
but his family, he is happily sharing
things on his personal Facebook
page of what he has been doing at
NADO, where he didn’t really share
anything previously. Matthew has
shown growth in speaking up for
himself and choosing activities
of his liking, allowing him to have
choice and control over his life,
which is something we as a family
encourage and is always met by
the amazing staff NADO has.
Matthew recently started to
purchase gifts for myself or his
dad when out on his 1:1 days
which is something Matthew
has never done previously and I
feel as though it’s because of the
continued positive support from
the NADO staff in learning about
everyday emotions and learning
how to show appreciation towards
others.
My confidence in the program
management and the support
staff has allowed me to take a
step back to help Matthew grow
his independence and Matthew is
now supported to his Allied Heath
appointments with staff, which
previously I have had to take time
off work to take Matthew to.
NADO has not only helped Matthew
grow and learn, they have helped
me also allow Matthew the chance
to spread his wings and live his life”
We thank Matthew and Patricia for
their kind words, and we believe
Matthew’s experience is one
worthy of sharing with the wider
community. A big thank you to the
staff involved at Penrith Central for
welcoming Matthew into NADO and
providing the right support for him
to flourish.

36

NADO Annual Report 2021-22 37
financials

38
financial
REPORT

NADO Annual Report 2021-22 39
Nepean Area Disabilities Organisation Limited
ABN: 83 188 045 596
STATEMENT OF PROFIT OR LOSS AND OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2022
2022 2021
INCOME
Sales Revenue 19,067,492 18,254,557
Profit/(Loss) from Sale of Asset - 7,600
Miscellaneous Income 14,126 8,674
TOTAL INCOME 19,081,618 18,270,831
LESS: EXPENSES
Employee Expenses 14,893,099 14,193,939
Client-Activities 249,261 261,158
Occupancy 405,683 490,234
Communication and IT Expenses 282,471 241,734
Depreciation Expenses 906,244 620,764
Other Administrative Expenses 1,402,319 1,175,803
TOTAL EXPENSES 18,139,077 16,983,632
OPERATING SURPLUS 942,541 1,287,199
Other Comprehensive Income:
TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME 942,541 1,287,199

40
Nepean Area Disabilities Organisation Limited
ABN: 83 188 045 596
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
AS AT 30 JUNE 2022
2022 2021
ASSETS
CURRENT
Cash and Cash Equivalents 6,305,671 5,958,944
Accounts and Other receivables 1,480,418 985,298
Prepayments 65,574 77,216
Other Assets 18,532 11,764
TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 7,870,195 7,033,222
NON-CURRENT
Property, Plant and Equipment 5,638,962 4,563,704
Other Financial Asset 40,315 33,324
TOTAL NON-CURRENT ASSETS 5,679,277 4,597,028
TOTAL ASSETS 13,549,472 11,630,250
LIABILITIES
CURRENT
Trade Creditors and Other Payables 2,644,914 2,094,156
Other Bank Loan - -
Employee Benefits 1,094,420 958,674
Other Provisions 26,275 30,579
TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES 3,765,609 3,083,409
NON CURRENT
Other Provisions 2,044,728 1,779,793
Other Bank Loan - -
Employee Benefits 209,222 179,676
TOTAL NON CURRENT LIABILITIES 2,253,950 1,959,469
TOTAL LIABILITIES 6,019,559 5,042,878
NET ASSETS 7,529,913 6,587,372
EQUITY
Accumulated Funds Prior Year 6,587,372 5,300,173
Surplus for the Year 942,541 1,287,199
TOTAL EQUITY 7,529,913 6,587,372

NADO Annual Report 2021-22 41
Nepean Area Disabilities Organisation Limited
ABN: 83 188 045 596
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2022
2022 2021
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Funding from Commonwealth and State 19,534,400 18,943,058
Funding from others 1,366,373 2,042,019
Payments for supplies and employees (18,334,263) (18,603,482)
Donations and Fundraising 121,510 57,334
Interest received 8,583 13,589
Net cash provided by operating activities 2,696,603 2,452,518
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment - 5,129
Right of use asset amortisation (539,781) (239,454)
Purchase of property, plant and equipment (1,810,095) (1,609,871)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities (2,349,876) (1,844,196)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from Loan
Payment of Loan (0) (374,123)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities (0) (374,123)
Net increase in cash held 346,727 234,199
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of financial year 5,958,944 5,724,745
Cash and cash equivalents at end of financial year 6,305,671 5,958,944

42

NADO Annual Report 2021-22 43
community

44
Friends of NADO
Charity Golf Day
On Friday 13 May 2022 we held our
fourth Friends of NADO Charity
Golf Day at Stonecutters Ridge Golf
Club, proudly supported by Elite
Sand & Soil.
26 sponsors saw both
Sponsorships and Teams sell
out and at full capacity. We were
thrilled that this was our biggest
charity event to date.
With our event falling on Friday
13th, we were not going to let it
stop us from another successful
event, with our attendees helping
us exceed our fundraising goal
of $50,000 for new sensory
experience equipment at Share
My Ability.
With a nervous lead up to the
event due to the unprecedented
weather, the rain thankfully held
off and everyone came back into
the clubhouse with smiles on their
faces, even though the course was
soggy, it was evident all had a
great time.
We welcomed our sponsors with
the majority having been with us
since our first event in 2018, as well
as some new sponsors and teams
that we hope will continue to join us
at this annual event.
Along with our sponsors, we are
grateful for the continued support
from local businesses who have
donated towards our raffles and
auctions over the years. See our
sponsors and donators on pages
46-47.

NADO Annual Report 2021-22 45

46

NADO Annual Report 2021-22 47

48
Friends of NADO
Since the Friend of NADO business
partner initiative commenced back
in 2014, we have had a total of 26
local businesses become a Friend
of NADO over this period. Due to
COVID-19 we unfortunately lost a
number of partners, however, with
the support of all of our Friends
of NADO partners, we have been
able to raise just under $115,000
over this period through their kind
donation of $85 per month.
To date, with money raised through
this initiative, we have been able
to purchase two wheelchair
accessible vehicles, quality
white goods for a group home,
contributed towards the fit out of
our short-term accommodation in
Winmalee, as well as contributed
towards the fit out for Share My
Ability – Sensory Activity Centre.
In support of families, we are now
commencing an annual Friends
of NADO Caring for Carers event.
This event will be partly funded by
the money raised via our Friends
of NADO initiative, acknowledging
the people who care for loved ones
with a disability.
I look forward to sharing the results
of this event with you next year.
We would like to thank the following
2021-2022 Friends of NADO
business partners.

Changing Lives through Connected Communities
1300 738 229 | info@nado.org.au | www.nado.org.au