Distinctive Options has announced it will close five of its services across Sunbury and the Macedon Ranges.
In a statement shared with staff, participants and families, Distinctive Options chief executive officer Andre Carvalho announced five enterprises will close – Do Honey (Sunbury); DO Food Project Cafe (Gisborne); The Goodwill Gardener (Sunbury); DO Good Wood (Sunbury); and DO Experiences – all by Friday, October 10.
“Over the past three years, we’ve operated ten small social enterprises across Sunbury, Gisborne and Bairnsdale, alongside our established disability support services in Sunbury, Brimbank, Bendigo and Bairnsdale,” Mr Carvalho said.
“While these enterprises have been valued and much-loved, a number are no longer financially sustainable.
“Collectively, they have recorded losses each year, including almost $1 million in the last financial year alone. Continuing in the same way would have placed the wider organisation at risk.”
He confirmed the remaining enterprises in Sunbury and Bairnsdale, as well as with its core disability and residential support services across Sunbury, Brimbank, Bendigo, and Bairnsdale, will continue as normal.
However, Distinctive Options will also step away from providing plan management later this year, which they said is in line with the Disability Royal Commission’s recommendation that plan management be delivered separately from direct disability supports.
Mr Carvalho confirmed this would end mid-November, with the team working closely with the four families in Sunbury affected.
“These have been very difficult decisions, and we know they affect people in our community,” he said.
“Behind every enterprise are staff, supported employees, participants and families who have given their time, energy and care. We want to acknowledge the disappointment and uncertainty this may bring, and we are deeply grateful for the contributions each person has made.
“Our focus now is on supporting everyone impacted and working closely with staff, participants and families to ensure transitions are as smooth as possible.”
The Sunbury and Macedon Ranges community has been hit hard by the news, especially with the closure of the DO Food Project Cafe in Gisborne.
A petition is currently circulating in store by Ruth Mulkearns, who supports her son who is a staff member at the cafe.
In the petition, Ms Mulkearns said the news came as a shock to the cafe’s management and staff.
“This cafe has given these participants a chance to learn work place skills, improve confidence, integrate with the community and form friendships with work colleagues and customers,” she wrote in the petition, which will be presented to Mr Carvalho.
