Berry Street to merge with disability service provider Yooralla

Child and family services provider Berry Street has this morning announced an intention to merge with Victorian disability service provider Yooralla. 

The Boards of Directors of Berry Street believe this will allow both entities to deliver greater impact and expanded services to their communities.

“Across Berry Street, we are seeing an increase in the number of children and young people entering care with disability, trauma and mental health issues. Yooralla’s human rights focused, social support model will allow us to develop essential supports that can be integrated with our child and family focused services,” Chair Dr Joanna Flynn AM said. 

The merger, should it progress, will be “a historic coming together of two of Victoria’s longest-serving, experienced and most respected providers of social services,” and will bring together the experience and expertise of two highly skilled specialist workforces.

Once completed, the merger will then offer opportunities for both agencies in terms of creating increased scope to integrate services where there are significant overlaps and to develop enhanced services to benefit current clients and service users.

There will also be the capacity for members of both entities to develop innovative services for people with disability and those experiencing violence, trauma and abuse.

The decision to merge, Yooralla Chair Jennifer Williams AM noted, came after a period of  extensive due diligence and thorough consideration. 

“It became very clear that merging our two organisations will provide enormous benefits for Yooralla service users and clients with disability, particularly through access to Berry Street’s excellent early intervention therapeutic supports and wraparound family services,” Ms Williams said. 

“Berry Street and Yooralla have much in common that will make us stronger together,” Berry Street Interim CEO Jenny McNaughton said. 

“Our values are aligned. We share a strong focus on children, families and early intervention. We have both endured for over a century by carefully evolving to meet changing community needs.”

Yooralla Chief Executive, Terry Symonds, will be appointed as CEO of the merged organisation. Berry Street Board Chair, Dr Joanna Flynn AM, will chair the merged entity Board.

Implementation of the merger will commence in early December once final conditions for the merger are met, including a special resolution to be voted on by Yooralla members.

In the lead up to the merger existing services for both Berry Street and Yooralla service users, clients and participants will continue, and without disruption. Each organisation will retain their names and brands, and they will continue direct engagement with their respective funders, donors, supporters and volunteers.

Further information about Berry Street is available here. For information about Yooralla, please visit the website.