People with Purpose: Helping those living with disability to live their best lives

Posted on 27 Aug 2024

Samantha with her sibling Alison — Samantha Hellams with her sister Alison.

There is joy to be had in helping people with disability to achieve and grow, says the CEO of Disability Living (DLi), Samantha Hellams.

What was the path that led you to join DLi?

I’d been working in the sector for a long time in senior and executive roles and was approached by the board who were looking for someone with a depth of understanding of disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

This is something I have gained from my lived experience supporting my sister Alison as well as from my career.

The board wanted someone who could bring the DLi team back onto the path of delivery of great service and outcomes for clients and the team.

Instead of joining the board, I became the CEO here at DLi so I can support both the board and management to deliver on our strategic goals for the betterment of our clients’ lives.

How would you describe what DLi does?

We are a leading disability services and accommodation provider in South Australia. We are proud to support people with intellectual disabilities to explore and expand their opportunities to achieve a more rewarding and active life in their home and community.

We can also provide 24/7 support in people’s homes, targeted behaviour support for people who experience behavioural challenges, and social and community participation opportunities for people with a disability.

What do you find most satisfying about your role?

Supporting South Australians with a disability to realise their goals and do things that they might not have otherwise had the chance to do is so satisfying.

It is very rewarding to support people to achieve those things they want to achieve, but also to see our team members so effective in doing that with our clients. One of our top values at DLi is “joy” and it is great to see that across our operations – with our clients and team members and our management and board.

What is the biggest issue faced by the disability services sector?

The implementation of the NDIS in the disability sector has provided both opportunities and challenges. While it has definitely had its benefits, it is clearly a massive transformation, and it will continue to transform.

So, one of the biggest challenges for us is navigating those twists and turns and the uncertainty that comes with it for clients, their families, and providers.

What have you learned in your time helping people in the disability services sector?

To take delight in the small things. When you see a team member support a client in something, the achievement and the pleasure in those little things … that’s why we do it.