scosa

scosa (the Spastic Centres of South Australia Inc.) was a South Australian organisation providing a range of supports to children and adults with disabilities. Initially it focused on people with cerebral palsy. In August 2019, it was announced that scosa was to merge into Novita.[2][3]

scosa
Merged into2019
SuccessorNovita Children's Services
Founded1950
TypeIncorporated
HeadquartersWoodville, South Australia
Area served
South Australia
AffiliationsNational Disability Services, Cerebral Palsy Australia[1]
Websitehttp://www.scosa.com.au/

History

Scosa had its beginnings in the efforts of parents of children with cerebral palsy.

In 1946, Norman Taylor, the then-president of The Crippled Children's Association of South Australia (now known as Novita Children's Services), invited Daphne Gum to return to Adelaide to establish a centre for the care of children with cerebral palsy.[4] Gum was the Director of the Spastic Centre ("The Centre") was established in the then Adelaide Children's Hospital, officially opening on 6 March 1946. The Centre used one room in the first-floor Outpatients' Department. As the lifts were old and unreliable, at times pupils were carried up and down the stairs. On 3 November 1949 the Centre moved to a prefabricated building of three rooms which had been purchased in Kermode Street, North Adelaide.

Scosa was incorporated on 18 April 1950 as the South Australian Spastic Paralysis Welfare Association Inc.[5]

SCOSA established a home (opened 29 November 1952)[6] and school at Woodville and also provided other services including: speech pathology; physiotherapy; occupational therapy; medical services; splint making; accommodation; with palliative care and a nursing home services.

From 1995 the Government of South Australia Department of Education took on the responsibility for children with disabilities and deinstitutionalisation led residents of institutional accommodation into the community, with CARA (Community Accommodation and Respite Agency Inc).[7]

Facilities

South Australian Spastic Paralysis Welfare Association (1948 - 1983)[8] and Spastic Centres of South Australia, SCOSA (1983 - )[9]

  • 1952 – 1960 Woodville Spastic Children's Home[10]
  • 1963 – 1993 Woodville Spastic Centre (1960? - 1993?)[11]
  • 1986 – 1991 Dew Street Cottage[12]
  • 1982 – Albara Road Cottage[13]

Miss South Australia and Miss Australia

The Miss South Australia Quest was run by Spastic Centres of South Australia Inc.[5] which as a member of The Spastic Centres of Australia ran the Miss Australia Quest/Awards for 45 years from 1954 to 2000. Over its duration entrants, their families, committees, sponsors and the general public of Australia raised in excess of A$87 million.[14]

People

See also

References
  1. Cerebral Palsy Australia
  2. (19 Aug 2019), SA NDIS providers Novita, scosa finalise merger after members approval, The Advertiser (subscription required)
  3. (22 Aug 2019), One big family Novita and scosa in alliance, The Advertiser, pg. 25
  4. Gum, Daphne Lorraine (1916 - ) at The Australian Women's Register, Retrieved 2 March 2016
  5. History of scosa - scosa has had an influential role in the evolution of disability services and support in SA since 1946 at the Wayback Machine (archived 30 October 2022)
  6. "Opening Of Spastic Home". The Advertiser (Adelaide). Vol. 95, no. 29, 333. South Australia. 16 October 1952. p. 14. Retrieved 2 March 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. History - Community Accommodation and Respite Agency, (2014) CARA Inc, Retrieved 2 March 2016
  8. South Australian Spastic Paralysis Welfare Association (1948 - 1983) at Find & Connect, Retrieved 2 March 2016
  9. Spastic Centres of South Australia, SCOSA (1983 - ) at Find & Connect, Retrieved 2 March 2016
  10. Woodville Spastic Children's Home (1952 - 1960?) at Find & Connect, Retrieved 2 March 2016
  11. Woodville Spastic Children's Home (1952 - 1960?) at Find & Connect, Retrieved 2 March 2016
  12. Dew Street Cottage (1986 - 1991) at Find & Connect, Retrieved 2 March 2016
  13. Albara Road Cottage (1982 - ) at Find & Connect, Retrieved 2 March 2016
  14. About Us - Miss Australia, Cerebral Palsy Alliance website.
  • Linn, Rob; Spastic Centres of South Australia Inc (1994), Perseverance : the story of Spastic Centres of South Australia, Spastic Centres of South Australia, ISBN 978-0-646-18453-1

Official website

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