Community First for Organisational Excellence

27 November 2007:
Community First Inc, a dynamic not-for-profit organisation providing employment and community services in the Peel, South West and Lower Great Southern regions, has won the 2007 Community Service Industry Award for Organisational Excellence.Accepting the award last night, the Chief Executive Officer of Community First, Clare Allen, said the win reflected the organisation’s dedication to match performance against the business excellence framework in governance, management and service practices.“Business excellence is pivotal to maintaining our high standard of management practice and service delivery. It is what drives us to make a positive difference through employment, training and community services,” she said.Presented at a ceremony at the University of Western Australia, the award is further recognition of an organisation operating through offices at Mandurah, Bunbury, Katanning and Albany and providing outreach services throughout the South West and Great Southern regions. Last year the organisation, which is rated as a five star performer, assisted 5556 people through employment and personal support service in the past year, and has placed 1988 of these clients into sustainable employment.

“Community First’s overriding vision is to be a national leadership organisation delivering local quality of life outcomes to people,” Clare said. “Our organisational and service goals are clear and aligned and we role model effective leadership throughout the organisation. Our plans are mutually agreed and happen, and we work hard to understand our customers to provide exceptional customer service.

“As an organisation, we are passionate about continuous improvement and sustainability. We care for and value our people because we realise our potential through them, and we are continually learning. We make sure we create a culture of innovation and ideas, and we contribute to and add value to the community.

“Our organisational values really do drive us to achieve excellence in all aspects of Community First. We really do it, it’s not just lip service,” she said.

Community First was also a finalist in three other award categories: Category 3 for Business and Community Partnerships (Community First Inc in Partnership with the WA Meat Marketing Cooperative and Centrelink for an innovation and opportunity program at Katanning); Category 4 for Strengthening the Community Services Industry (Ability Arts at Mandurah), and Category 5 for Strengthening Communities (Caring for Country Project Albany – Community First Inc.).

Contact: Clare Allen.