About Us
Life Stream Foundation
Formed in 1984, Life Stream Foundation provides services to people with an intellectual disability: facilitating the development of skills, independence and friendships through participation in community sport, recreation and leisure. This provides our members with improved quality of life, personal development, the opportunity to achieve, a sense of belonging and most importantly improved self esteem.
Funding
Life Stream Foundation receives funding from the Queensland government, specifically Department of Communities. Life Stream Foundation relies upon this funding to deliver community linking programs (usually individualised support) to people with disabilities in Brisbane and Mackay. Unfortunately a reduction in funding will mean a reduction in services.
Staffing
The majority of Life Stream Foundation direct support services are facilitated by volunteers in group programs. We currently have approximately 80 active volunteers who give their time on weekends and nights, providing support to Life Stream Foundation members to participate in group programs. If you would like to become a Life Stream Foundation volunteer, please email info@lifestream.org.au and your email will be forwarded to the appropriate regional coordinator.
Program Officers are paid staff supporting individuals or small groups in community linking programs. Community linking programs are skill based and focus on individual needs and goals. If you would like to become a Life Stream Foundation Program Officer in Brisbane or Mackay OR a Sport Officer at school based sport programs, please email info@lifestream.org.au and your email will be forwarded to the appropriate regional coordinator.
Quality Assurance
Life Stream Foundation receives funding from Disability Services Queensland for the coordination of Mackay individualised support and group leisure program services in addition to Greater Brisbane region’s individualised support programs. Therefore Life Stream Foundation is required to work through a cycle towards independent certification against the Queensland Disability Service Standards. Life Stream Foundation was required to develop and implement our own quality management system in a way that suits the needs of our organisation and the needs of members.
After this initial cycle, Life Stream Foundation undergoes annual maintenance audits and is required to recertify every three years, with yearly maintenance visits to track continuous internal improvements.
Life Stream Foundation endeavours to increase the involvement of members and their support networks in the Quality Assurance process. Life Stream Foundation members have an important role to play in monitoring the quality of services they receive.
There are opportunities for members and support networks to be involved in the organisational aspects of Life Stream, including the Continuous Quality Improvement Committee, which looks at ways we can improve the standard of services that Life Stream Foundation provides for its members.
A review has recently been conducted by Life Stream Foundation staff, looking at the 10 Disability Service Standards and how they are applied in Life Stream Foundation service delivery (specifically DSQ funded programs). Please refer to the Service Standards Review. If you are aware of improvements that can be made or evidence that we have not documented, tell us what we need to do via an e-mail on the Contact Us page of the website or give us a call. If your suggestion is suitable and within our capacity, we will add it to the improvements list and our continuous quality improvement register until it becomes a part of our practice. It will then be transferred to our evidence list.
If you have questions regarding Quality Assurance, service standards or would like to express interest in how you can be involved in this process, please contact Kim Usher at the Brisbane office on Ph: 3891 5466 during office hours.
Policies