Risk Management Strategy

BrainLink is a not-for-profit organisation that works to ensure people living with brain injuries, their families, and carers, receive the support they need to live fulfilling lives.  Services at BrainLink are committed to providing an all-inclusive approach and crossover of services to meet the needs of the entire family by:

•      building capacity and ability of people with Brain Injury, their families, and carers to live fulfilling lives
•      being the trusted experts in linking people with Brain Injury, their families, and carers to effective and timely supports
•      continually improving the quality, reach, flexibility, and responsiveness of our services
•      ensuring a strong, agile, sustainable, and transparent organisation.

BrainLink operates across the disability and aged care sectors, both of which have recently undergone transformative change with a focus on individualised funding, consumer choice and control, competitive markets, and the reduction/removal of block funding.

Meanwhile, the caring role and reliance on informal supports continues to grow as people with disabilities or chronic illness/disorders are living longer and many older Australians live for more years in poor health.  The documented impact of caring on carers continues to include financial hardship, poor health and wellbeing, social isolation, and breakdown of relationships with partners, family and friends and general disadvantage affecting career, education, and spontaneity of life.
BrainLink is committed to a culture of governance and risk management and embedding risk management practices across the organisation.  The principal focus of this risk management strategy is to contribute to the efficient and effective governance and operations of the organisation.  The risk management strategy is a key document of the organisation in that it:

•      demonstrates the process is conducted properly
•      provides evidence of a systematic approach to risk identification and analysis
•      provides a record of risks and to develop the organisation’s knowledge database
•      provides relevant decision makers with a risk management plan for approval and subsequent implementation
•      provides an accountability mechanism and tool
•      facilitates continuing monitoring and review
•      provides an audit trail
•      sharing and communicate of information.

Risk Management Framework

The prime responsibility for the sound and prudent management of BrainLink rests with the Board and CEO.

The operations of the organisation are managed in accordance with the constraints of the Strategic Plan and the Annual Business Plan developed and approved by the Board each year.  The Business Plan is developed annually and is supported by the financial and statistical budgets, external and internal analysis, strategic factors and development and operational action plan for each program.  Deviations from the Strategic and Annual Business Plans must receive prior approval from the Board.
BrainLink has developed a Risk Management Framework to provide a logical process for identifying, evaluating, and managing risks affecting the organisation, and to ensure that they are controlled, so as to provide effective protection to the organisation at an acceptable cost.

The Risk Management Framework is required to be endorsed by the Board and is to be observed at all times by management and staff of the organisation.