• The Open Minds governing team

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  • Focusing on quality supports for everyone

    • Edward Phelan

      Chair
      MAICD

      Ed joined the Open Minds Board in July 2025, and is also a Director of the CV Services Group, Director of Edmund Rice Educations Flexi Schools and QLD Councillor for the Australian Industry Group. Ed has over 30 years’ experience delivering exceptional results across diverse industries, including manufacturing, construction, asset management, and not-for-profits. Ed has a passion for corporate social responsibility and training young people from diverse backgrounds and ensuring they are workforce ready through education.

    • Damian Bell

      Director

      Damian joined as Vertaview Group CEO in February 2025, bringing over 20 years of global leadership experience across multiple industries, including development and infrastructure, banking and finance, and legal services.

      A results-driven leader, Damian is passionate about making a positive impact through strategic planning and fostering strong relationships to drive sustainable growth. He is dedicated to enhancing services that support people with disabilities and their communities.

      Damian is also the past Chair of a large charitable organisation, focused on family support, refugee and migrant services, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and mental health initiatives.

    • Elissa Morriss

      Director
      MPsych (Clinical Psychology, Clinical Neuropsychology), Churchill Fellow

      Elissa Morriss is a psychologist with more than 35 years’ experience in brain injury rehabilitation and vocational rehabilitation, working with adults with disability and their family members, and with community services.

  • Our governing board keep our values
    at the forefront of our decisions

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      Integrity

      We always do the best that we can and believe in being held accountable in order to do what is right.

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      Curiosity

      We ask questions, are always interested, and never stop learning about what is best for our clients.

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      Togetherness

      We are stronger as a team, understanding that we can always achieve more collectively than as individuals.

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      People-centred

      As a support and people-focused organisation, we believe that we can do nothing for you without you.

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      Respect

      We know that each person and their experiences are unique, and strive to always respect everyone that we work with.

  • We believe in full
    transparency

    Open Minds is committed to meeting the highest standards in corporate and clinical governance, transparency, and accountability. We are compliant with constitutional obligations and regularly review our governance arrangements, as well as developments in current practices, expectations, and regulations.

  • Child and Young Person Safety
    and Wellbeing Statement

    Open Minds is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people. Open Minds has a zero tolerance for violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of children and young people.

    To support this commitment, Open Minds is focused on providing an environment where all children and young people are safe, feel safe, and their voices are heard about decisions that impact their lives.

    Open Minds also respects diversity in cultures and child rearing practices. Open Minds promotes the cultural safety of children and young people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds.

    Open Minds values the input of, and communicates regularly with, families and carers of children and young people involved in upholding their safety and wellbeing.

    Open Minds is focused on preventing the abuse of children and young people, through a proactive approach that includes:

    • identifying risks to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people early and removing or reducing these risks,
    • fostering a culture of openness that supports all persons to safely disclose risks of harm to children and young people,
    • treating all allegations and safety concerns relating to children and young people, seriously,
    • enacting our legal and moral obligations to contact authorities when we are worried about any child or young person’s safety,
    • ensuring workers understand that they are required to act in accordance with Open Minds Code of Conduct, and associated procedures and processes
    • championing children’s and young people’s rights and modelling best practice in ensuring their safety and wellbeing,
    • robust human resources and recruitment practices that minimise the risk of new and existing Directors, workers and volunteers from abusing children and young people,
    • incident management processes that assertively respond to safety concerns regarding children and young people in required timeframes, and
    • routinely training and educating our Directors, workers and volunteers on the risks and responsibilities regarding abuse of children and young people.