Moving Forward
27 June 2013
The Board of Directors recently approved the acquisition of two businesses. Both will make an important contribution to Wunan, in supporting our strategy for change in the Aboriginal community while diversifying our business activities.
1. Kununurra Integrated Primary Health Centre
Health outcomes, along with Education, Employment and Housing are critical to community well-being and operation of the new medical practice in the Kununurra Integrated Primary Health Care Centre (Ochre Centre) sees Wunan entering a new sphere of activity. The development of the new centre provides the opportunity to deliver improved health services that positively impact Aboriginal and other community members; while strengthening Wunan’s ability to provide holistic solutions to individuals and families.
Acquisition of an existing medical practice will form the foundation of the new practice that will be scaled up, moved into its new location and integrated with other services provided by Primary Health Centre.
While early days, we see the new medical business as providing a platform for engagement in the wider field of public health, and specifically those issues impacting the Aboriginal community.
2. Social Research
Based in Melbourne, Social Compass is a highly regarded social research company providing robust research and program evaluations for organisations across government, business, university and community sectors. A considerable body of work has been conducted in the Indigenous space, including that previously commissioned by Wunan; a FIFO feasibility study and Real Jobs II examining employment demand in the East Kimberley.
Acquiring Social Compass provides Wunan the opportunity to focus its area of research more directly on issues impacting the Aboriginal community and develop a stronger role around Indigenous disadvantage and our ability to inform future policy and practice. We equally see the need to evaluate our own activities, particularly Living Change, to substantiate program design and outcomes: very necessary in the further development of effective programs and funding partnerships.
A strong research agenda, combined with Wunan’s existing strengths will enhance our position in Thought Leadership through which we can further contribute to the development of stronger communities and social inclusion.