CEO Update: Spring 2025

October welcomes the Kambarang season, a time of transformation in nature. We see warmer days, longer sunlight hours, and an abundance of blooming wildflowers, a true season of growth and renewal.

As the season brings new energy, this edition of our newsletter is filled with updates, celebrations, and fresh initiatives. I’m excited to share what’s been happening at Therapy Focus and what’s to come for our community in the months ahead.

We’re excited to announce that from 30 September, our ReFocus therapy centre welcomed customers to its new home in Osborne Park. This move creates a new specialist hub that will bring more services, therapists, and state-of-the-art equipment together in one convenient location, giving local customers greater access and support. At the same time, our recent ReFocus expansion into Bunbury ensures customers in the South West can benefit from the same high-quality care and technology.

This month, we are thrilled to once again take part in Perth’s biggest family event, the Telethon Family Festival. I warmly invite you to join the fun on Sunday, 19 October, from 10am–4pm at RAC Arena and along Wellington Street to Yagan Square. The festival promises a wonderful day of live entertainment, activities and family-friendly fun.

We are proud to mark our 22nd year as a Telethon beneficiary. The festival is always a fantastic opportunity to connect with new families and reconnect with familiar faces. Be sure to stop by and say hello to the Therapy Focus team. We’d love to see you there!

The Thriving Kids program is a new national initiative set to begin on 1 July 2026. It aims to deliver early supports for children with Autism and mild to moderate developmental delay outside of the NDIS, creating another pathway for families to access therapies and support services. To guide the process, the Minister for Health and Ageing, the Hon Mark Butler MP, has asked for feedback through a national Inquiry.

“I encourage you to complete the survey and share your experiences with support services for children with disability – both within and outside the NDIS. Your feedback is vital in shaping a system that truly reflects the needs of children and their families, as Therapy Focus and other allied health providers adapt to sector changes. The survey closes Friday, 10 October 2025.”

There’s another chance to help shape the future of the NDIS in Western Australia through the new NDIS WA Community Advisory Council. The WA Government and Minister for Disability Services are inviting people with disability, their families, and carers to express interest in joining for a three year term. This Council will provide a direct voice to the Minister, uniting lived experience, advocacy groups and sector representatives to ensure the NDIS works effectively for all Western Australians. Expressions of interest close at 5pm on Monday, 13 October 2025.

Last month, Therapy Focus celebrated R U OK? Day. Our teams embraced a splash of yellow, gathered for morning tea, and shared conversations over a warm drink. We introduced a game of conversation bingo to help colleagues connect and learn more about one another. Mental health and wellbeing are so important, and this day served as a powerful reminder of the value of simply checking in. Sometimes asking, “Are you OK?” can make all the difference to someone’s day.

As the days grow warmer, I encourage you to take a moment to enjoy the beauty of spring and create lasting memories with family and friends!

Alison Kelly
Chief Executive Officer