About Us

Lifestyle Assistance & Accommodation Services
Disability Services in the Riverland and Mallee Region
Office: 39 East Terrace, Loxton. SA 5333
Post: PO Box 1019, Loxton SA 5333
08 7547 9111

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LAAS is

An experienced provider of disability support services for people with a broad range of intellectual and physical disabilities
A registered service provider with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
A 24 hours, 7 days a week accommodation support provider
A provider of a tailored day options program, which caters to an individual’s goals
A provider of caring and personalised disability support workers to assist clients to participate more in community

Our Board & Leadership

Our board of management is comprised of individuals who have a connection to people living with disabilities or providing assistance to people living with disabilities. Our board members have held jobs in the public and private sectors, as well as having actively worked in the disability support sector.

Board profiles coming soon.

Pam Davis

Chairperson

Rosemary Sandow

Vice-Chair

Karen Brown

Secretary

Gary Ooyendyk

Treasurer

Cindy McDonald

Board Member

Sandy Mitchell

Board Member

LAAS was established on 2nd June 1986 by four sets of parents of children with disabilities after concerns were raised that no services were available in the Riverland for their sons and daughters after they left the Riverland Special School. Historically, individuals with complex needs and high behavioural support requirements were relocated to Adelaide, removing people from the community they had grown up in and away from their informal support networks. Dissatisfied with this, and the lack of accommodation services in the Riverland, the group of parents lobbied for over 2 years for funding to create LAAS. This occurred with the support of staff at the Riverland State Government office and the Intellectual Disability Services Council (IDSC).

Riverland Council for the Handicapped organised a steering committee that worked with IDSC and the families to obtain the funding and support to set up LAAS. A grant of $150,000 was received following a meeting with the Health Minister, John Cornwall. This enabled a Board of Management to be established as well as the appointment of two staff, and the setup of a house in Loxton. The establishment of LAAS demonstrated a new way of service provision by supporting people with significant intellectual disabilities and behaviours of concern within a rural community.
After the establishment of the first home in Loxton, LAAS has grown over the past 36 years to include four homes in Loxton, three in Berri and one in Renmark. A day options program, based out of Loxton, was also formed. This provides clients with meaningful, developmental day activities and is used by not only clients supported by LAAS in accommodation services, but other individuals living with disabilities across the Riverland.

We have over 37 years’ experience in supporting people with intellectual and physical disabilities in the Riverland and Mallee regions
We were created by parents of children with disabilities who wanted their children to remain living in the community they grew up in and love
We employ qualified, dedicated, and highly skilled staff who are committed to providing quality supports to our clients
Our staff are fully trained to deliver person-centred approaches, where clients are at the centre of decisions
We are committed to working with clients and their families so that each individual client can achieve their personal goals
We provide supports based on the strengths, abilities, aspirations and preferences of clients to ensure services are tailored to meet the individual’s needs
As a not-for-profit organisation, profits go back into service provision to ensure a quality service