Empowering Lives: Barkuma’s 2023-2026 Strategic Plan Unveiled

9th October, 2023

Barkuma is excited to announce the launch of their 2023-2026 strategic plan. With a mission to partner with the community to deliver services that enhance the lives of individuals with disabilities, Barkuma is poised to make significant strides in the coming years. This plan outlines their vision, values and key focus areas, all of which are geared towards becoming the provider of choice for people with disabilities.

Simon Rowberry, CEO of Barkuma, explains the direction of this strategic plan:

“From our perspective, this is a change of tack. Our previous strategic plans have been a little more internal looking. This one really focuses on the need to collaborate both with our customers and with the community in order for us to achieve our goals over the next three years. We want people to know that we’re not going to be doing this in isolation; we’re working with our chosen communities to bring this to life.”

At the heart of Barkuma’s identity lies a commitment to individualised support and empowerment. Barkuma is not just a service provider; it is a partner in creating social impact and supporting people with disabilities forge their own path towards their best life. This is a place where diversity is not just accepted but embraced, where rights are not just acknowledged but upheld, and where individuals thrive.

Developing the 2023-2026 strategic plan has been a collaborative effort over a period of ten months. “The board and our leadership team have been involved. Staff have been involved at multiple stages, and we had a group of 80 supported employees who were supported to provide feedback on the vision, mission, values and goals of the plan. So we went quite broad with the development of the plan. Any of the significant material changes that were put forward have been incorporated into the final product,” says Simon.

Values That Drive Barkuma

Barkuma’s strategic plan is built on a solid foundation of core values:

  • Rights:
    The organisation champions the aspirations of its people, clients and staff by actively listening to and supporting their needs.
  • Inclusion:
    Barkuma believes that every individual has a valuable contribution to make and should have the right to feel safe in all environments.
  • Collaboration: The keys to achieving great outcomes are found in partnerships and collaborations. Barkuma encourages others, seeks win-win solutions, and celebrates shared successes. Simon explains that the community is broad-reaching and includes “people with a disability, family members, employers, funders and philanthropic organisations, the three school sectors, and commercial businesses that may want to partner with us through our support and employment.”
  • With, Not For:
    Barkuma’s approach aims to develop capability, not create dependence, fostering independence and self-reliance among its clients.
  • Impact:
    Barkuma places a high value on accountability, delivering on promises, setting goals, making plans and meeting deadlines.
  • Learning:
    Barkuma’s commitment to continuous learning ensures that it remains well-prepared to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.

Key Focus Areas

The 2023-2026 Strategic Plan contains five key focus areas, each designed to steer Barkuma towards its vision of becoming the provider of choice for people with disabilities:

  • Our Clients: At the heart of Barkuma’s mission is the goal of supporting client potential through building capability, choice and control while providing high-quality supports.
  • Our Partners: Barkuma recognises that collaborations built on shared values and social impact are crucial. They actively engage with business partners, government agencies, educational institutions and the community to create a collective impact.
  • Our Business: To ensure sustainable growth and good governance, Barkuma places emphasis on systems and processes that support quality information and decision-making.
  • Our Staff: Skilled and motivated staff members are essential to Barkuma’s success. They play structured roles aligned with the organisation’s purpose, driving it forward.
  • Our Sustainability: Barkuma’s commitment to high performance ensures that they can deliver on their purpose today and invest in the future, safeguarding the organisation’s long-term impact.

 

How can Barkuma’s 2023-2026 strategic plan help you?

Barkuma is taking a proactive approach, aiming to improve the experience not only for the people that they support and their staff but also for the broader community.

For Simon, it’s all about partnerships:

“If you’re a business and you’ve got an environmental, social and corporate governance need that needs to be filled, by all means, get in contact with us. If you are an employer that’s struggling to find staff, once again, get in contact with us with our Disability Employment Services program, and if you’re a person with a disability who wants support to live your all, then we’re here to help you.”

With a clear mission, a compelling vision, and a set of values that reflect its commitment to inclusivity and empowerment, Barkuma’s 2023-2026 Strategic Plan sets the stage for an exciting journey ahead. The focus areas and initiatives outlined in the plan underscore Barkuma’s dedication to improving the lives of individuals with disabilities and its determination to be the provider of choice in the disability services landscape. As we look to the future, Barkuma is poised to make a significant and lasting impact in the community it serves.