As 2024 comes to a close, the team at MADEC has been celebrating a year of growth, milestones, and client achievements. Rooted in our mission to empower individuals and build stronger communities, this year’s accomplishments reflect the dedication of our team. In total, we delivered over 278,000 support hours, serving over 350 people with disabilities and 175 young people.
Client Success Stories
Our clients continue to inspire us with their determination and accomplishments:
- Andrew’s Name Change: Andrew successfully reclaimed his birth name, fulfilling a deeply personal goal that marks a new chapter in his journey.
- Athletic Excellence: Skye and Mary proudly represented Mackay in the All-Abilities NRL Endeavour Cup, with Skye earning a silver medal in 3×3 Basketball at the Central Queensland Special Olympics.
- Entrepreneurial Growth: Ryan, a Community Access client, celebrated significant growth in his recyclables and courier business, adding six new businesses to his clientele last month.
- Celebrating Friendship: Steven, Roy, Megan, and Abby celebrated their bonds on International Friendship Day, showcasing the meaningful relationships formed through MADEC’s Supported Independent Living service.
- Out of Home Care’s (OOHC) Culinary Win: Young people in OOHC captured the Great MADEC Bake Off trophy with their spectacular Christmas cupcake spread, highlighting their creativity and teamwork.
- Unforgettable Experiences: Many clients embraced new adventures, from holidays to achieving long-held personal milestones, expanding their horizons and building confidence. These achievements are supported by MADEC’s Workplace Giving, Sponsorship and Donation programs.
Expanding Services and Enhancing Impact
- Strengthening Residential Care: MADEC is now one of Mackay’s largest OOHC providers, known for our expertise in supporting individuals with complex needs.
- Child Safety Licensing: MADEC became a licensed Child Safety Provider, a critical milestone that underscores our commitment to providing safe, high-quality care.
- Achieving Goals: Over 65% of our NDIS clients made strides toward personal goals and embraced new experiences, reflecting the success of our tailored, person-centered support.
- Program Growth: Achieving over 15% growth across services allowed us to touch more lives and strengthen our community impact.
- Funding Success: Nearly $100,000 was raised in grants and donations, enabling the purchase of a new bus to better serve our community.
Strengthening Workforce Excellence
- Mentor Program Launch: Youth and Support Workers benefited from a new mentorship initiative that supports our staff in providing first-class person-centered care.
- Specialist Training: We enhanced workforce expertise by increasing compliance and delivering targeted training programs.
- Acknowledgements and Wellbeing Support: MADEC moved to a new Employee Wellbeing provider with expanded offerings, plus introduced a suite of benefits, awards, and acknowledgments to better support and celebrate our staff.
- External Workforce Survey: MADEC’s Culture Survey revealed job satisfaction scores 6% higher and employee wellbeing 4% higher than similar organisations.
Community Recognition and Engagement
- Heart of Gold Nomination: Being shortlisted for the Mackay Regional Chamber of Commerce’s award was a proud moment, affirming our deep connection to the community.
- Industry Leadership: Representing MADEC at key events like the NDS Regional and Remote Conference and DSC’s 2024 NDIS Conference highlighted our commitment to staying at the forefront of industry advancements.
- Community Engagement: Participated in community events such as the Mackay Disability Expo and NAIDOC Week, partnered with Headspace Mackay to launch a suite of events for Queensland Mental Health Month, and developed new partnerships to support our vision for a more inclusive community.
As we reflect on the successes of 2024, we’re filled with pride and gratitude for our clients, team, and supporters. Together, we’ve built a foundation of trust, innovation, and compassion that will propel us into an exciting 2025.
Here’s to another year of supporting independence in Mackay and the Whitsundays!
