Claire McCullagh

Principal
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Claire is a human services, health and central government expert specialising in organisational and service design and policy development.

She brings 12 years’ experience, including working previously as a senior adviser on central government policy, mental health and disability in the Western Australian (WA) Government. Claire is passionate about working with clients to deliver better services for people experiencing vulnerability.

Influential work

  • Led an independent review for the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care on the lessons learned from the government’s health response to COVID-19 for people with disabilities and their families and carers
  • Led a functional review of the WA Department of Communities, involving critical analysis of the effectiveness and efficiency of all non-frontline departmental functions
  • Managed development of an operating model and cost model for a new Centre of Excellent in intellectual disability health for the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, which has since received federal funding for establishment
  • Led a review of a draft service model for an Immediate Drug Assistance Coordination Centre – a new alcohol-and-other-drug coordination service to be located in the Perth CBD.

Outside of Nous

Before joining Nous, Claire worked at the WA Department of the Premier and Cabinet on social policy projects, including negotiating the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), for dissolution of the Home and Community Care program, and preparing the 2016-17 State Methamphetamine Action Plan. She also worked as a senior project manager for the WA Mental Health Commission and Disability Services Commission on the inclusion of people with mental illness in the NDIS.

Claire is co-author of The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS): Australia’s Public Policy Experiment. The book is the first text to comprehensive examine the NDIS from both an academic and public policy perspective.

Claire holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Oxford and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of WA.

In her spare time...

Claire enjoys yoga, listening to podcasts and spending time with her family.