On Wednesday, 22 October 2025, we were delighted to welcome Michael Perusco, CEO, and Lowri Williams, NSW State Manager, from National Disability Services (NDS) to Warrah.
Michael and Lowri met with seven of our families to hear first-hand about the importance and impact of Warrah for their loved ones with profound intellectual disability, our participants, residents, and students. Families shared their deeply personal journeys, telling us of the challenges of finding a place where their loved one feels safe, understood, and able to thrive, and the immense relief and joy of securing a place at Warrah.
They spoke of trying other services and mainstream options that, despite best intentions, left their loved ones struggling or regressing, and of the transformation and thriving they’ve since seen through Warrah’s care, support, and learning environment.
One mother shared how her son has lived in the same Warrah home for the past 30 years with the same housemates and consistent staff for over 10 years, and what a difference this has made in his progress. She described the comfort this consistency gives her and her husband as they face the later stage of their lives, knowing their son is truly cared for “like family.”
Reflecting on the visit, Warrah’s Chief Executive Officer, Delia Gray, shared, “It is vital that NDIS funding for high-quality, long-standing organisations keeps pace with escalating costs. Wage increases, new long service leave levies, which now exceed actual payouts for previous years by up to five times, and workers compensation premiums that have risen by 200% despite stable claims costs are placing unsustainable pressure on providers.
At Warrah, we work tirelessly to maintain the highest standards, train our staff, and deliver consistent, innovative, quality support across all our services. But losses of this scale cannot continue. The NDIS and government must act now to ensure that trusted, long-standing providers can continue delivering the care and stability that people with intellectual disability and their families depend on.”
We are grateful to NDS for taking the time to listen and engage with our community, and for their ongoing advocacy for people with disability and the organisations that support them. We look forward to welcoming them back soon to learn more about our other exciting services.
