who we are

Our person-centred services and programs are developed as we listen to carers and plan a varied range of services that respond to their needs.  Our Respite Programs offer a safe environment for people with a disability to have fun and socialise, giving the family members an opportunity for time out from their caring role to relax and recharge . We also help to connect care recipients and their families with other available and relevant services and supports.  .  
Riverlink’s office staff, field staff  and volunteers are passionate about their roles with us  and we supply quality and skilled staff that meet the specific needs of our clients. Through our brokerage model of service we have access to a large pool of staff with a broad range of skill to match people’s needs. Cultural awareness and language skills are an important element of services to our diverse community

How we started

In 1987 Riverlink was born out of the needs of a group of parents of children with disabilities. In the beginning, these parents from Sydney’s Lower North Shore formed a support group and identified their needs for respite care and some meaningful and fun activities for their children. In the absence of a service to meet these needs, they decided to apply to the NSW State Government for funding to create the service that they wanted.
These families all lived in the suburbs bordered by the Lane Cove River  and the Parramatta river. The rivers linked the community and so the group called their new service Riverlink.
Interest and membership in this newly formed service  venture grew. To formalise this, Riverlink Interchange (Riverlink) became an incorporated association in 1988.
Now the river link is metaphorical and Riverlink services a much larger area which reaches from its origins on the Lower North Shore to the Cumberland Prospect area in the west of Sydney.  With this growth in the reach of the service Riverlink’s membership has also grown.
Riverlink has a board of management who volunteer their time and expertise. They have responsibility for the governance oversight of the organisation as the Management Committee. The committee is made up of carers, business people and community services professionals. A key role of the Management Committee. is to guide Riverlink’s Strategic direction.

Riverlink, looking to the future:

Riverlink is dedicated to making a real difference in the lives of carers and their families through our evolving services and programs. We continue to build a strong, viable organisation that reflects carer’s perspective and increases the scope and reach of our activities and enhance participation of carers and people with a disability.
 
We  are constantly building on our knowledge base, listening to the feedback from carers and people with a disability identifying gaps in the community to improve and extend the support we offer.

Our innovations give real options and experiences for people with disabilities that go beyond respite care. These include social groups to develop social skills, mentoring and youth development, as well as coaching for individuals and families to help them to plan and set and reach life goals that they identify. These goals may be planning for the future care of their son or daughter  with a disability or to reach their own personal potential.