About us
Learn more about the ICLA community.
Our History
ICLA was first established in 1984 to aid a group of boarding house residents in Bondi who were facing eviction. “Rotorua” was a privately-operated boarding house for more than ten years, providing secure, supported accommodation for up to 29 people with psychosocial disabilities. When the property was put up for sale, the residents again faced the insecure tenancy and lack of support often experienced by people living with complex mental illnesses.
A group of local community health workers, students and family members formed the Independent Community Living Association, and were able to negotiate with the NSW Department of Housing to secure appropriate alternative accommodation.
The original mission of ICLA was to promote acceptance, interaction and participation in the wider community with the aim of supporting people with psychosocial disabilities to live in shared accommodation, and avoid homelessness, institutionalisation, hospitalisation or living in sub-standard homes.
Today, Independent Community Living Australia (ICLA) is a not for profit Australian company limited by guarantee, which employs over 130 people and delivers mental health and psychosocial disability services and supports across NSW and delivers virtual peer support Australia wide.
Our Vision
The people we support, our staff and the organisation, all thrive.
Our Mission
To deliver personalised support enabling individual choice to improve people’s lives.
Our Values
Results for those we serve.
Our practice is person centred and recovery oriented. We listen to those we support and together we strive to achieve their vision. Their success is our success and we believe that we can make a real and valuable difference in the lives of those we support.
Respect for all.
We are respectful and caring in all we do. We admire the achievements of the people we support and never lose sight of their big picture. We value and welcome diversity.
Integrity in what we do.
We believe that integrity, truth, reliability, honesty and ethical conduct must guide everything that we do. Having integrity means doing the right thing in a reliable way.
Accountable for all we do.
We hold ourselves and each other accountable for actions and results. Accountability ensures that every person regardless of their needs has a life of possibility and opportunity.
Our Employees
Our values underpin all our work, and our way of operating.
We recognise that diversity in our workforce contributes to ICLA’s success and benefits our employees, and people we support. We support an inclusive working environment, providing equality and fairness in all ICLA functions, from employment to the provision of services. We are a proud member of ACON’s Welcome Here Project.
We are committed to developing and growing our people whilst creating a workplace that supports and encourages our staff to participate in a range of professional development, learning and wellbeing initiatives.
The eFriend team at ICLA is one of the most supportive and encouraging workplaces I’ve ever experienced. I feel that I’m really able to make a difference in people’s lives and that I’m supported by the culture at ICLA to do that. It means a lot to be able to come to work and feel that my contribution is meaningful.
ICLA is a great workplace; it has a dynamic and diverse work environment that promotes a forward-thinking culture where ideas are welcomed.
As a Finance Officer, I have been able to dive deep into understanding and processing accounts for the organisation because of the training and support I have received consistently here.
I am grateful to be a part of the accounts team, in which I have invariably felt valued and appreciated. I have always been encouraged to speak up and have experienced growth professionally. One of the aspects of ICLA that I love is the dedication to genuinely improving the lives of our consumers.
I enjoy that my work for ICLA is focused around helping people. Every day is varied, and I work with a variety of clients and staff.
I am grateful that I work with a vibrant and positive team.
I started at ICLA with previous experience as a Support Coordinator. Having worked as a Support Coordinator at other organisations, I can safely say the ICLA has been the best workplace by far. It is an inclusive and positive culture that I am proud to be part of. I am always encouraged and provided with opportunities to do my best. I know that at the end of each day, I have helped to support and make a difference to consumers’ lives.
I have been working with ICLA for over 4 years and love working here because I am surrounded by amazing colleagues who always inspire me and support me. I also love the people that I support as they are unique, full of talent and potential. Working with ICLA helps broaden my perspective of life and I always learn a lot from the people I am surrounded by.
ICLA has been a fantastic place to work! I have enjoyed being a part of a dynamic team whose passion for supporting people living with psychosocial disability is evident in all that they do. ICLA is an organisation that adapts and responds to the needs of the community it serves and is not afraid to challenge systemic barriers posed to consumer’s on their recovery journey. ICLA offers and encourages opportunities for career growth and development. ICLA’s investment in its staff has allowed me to experience more personal and professional growth than at any other point in my career.
After completing my studies in Mental Health, I began searching for somewhere to start working. My research led me to applying with ICLA since all the information I could find suggested that they were interested in supporting consumers, respecting their dignity, and offering a person-centred approach that resonated with me and aligned with my view of how best to support those that need it.
I am very happy to say that all my experiences since starting here have shown that ICLA stays true to its values, and this is reflected in how the people we support are treated. I have felt well supported myself by the organisation which has allowed me to focus on what I see as the most important thing, and the core of ICLA, which is providing support and autonomy as best as possible.
ICLA has provided me with the opportunity to fulfil my lifelong dream of working and supporting vulnerable members of our community. During my ten years working with ICLA, I have been very impressed with ICLA’s commitments and determination to offer the best service to its consumers. ICLA has always prioritised promoting good quality of life to our consumers. ICLA has offered me opportunities to develop as a person and a professional through support and educational programs. It has been my great pleasure working for ICLA and I hope to continue on the journey ahead.
Find out about our board members here.